Oniisan
by SachiNyoko
Summary: Fruits Basket crossover. Usagi discovers that before she was adopted as Usagi Tsukino, she was Ame Sohma, sister to Yuki Sohma. Her only problems? Yuki doesn't remember her at all, and Akito forbids their contact.
1. Chapter 1

Tsukino Usagi sighed, desperately trying to pull her golden spun locks of hair into their normal buns. With all the practice over the years, she thought that it would be a cinch by now, but sometimes her huge mass of hair just would not work with her despite all efforts. Grumbling, she gave in and put forth just enough to achieve a ponytail. She smoothed down the lumps, not really caring if it looked a bit sloppy. After all, she was only going out to the grocery store to buy some milk for her Okaasan; she could have another go with the buns later.

Taking the steps two at a time, she spun around the banister at the bottom and nearly collided with her younger brother, Shingo. They stuck their tongues out at each other concurrently before continuing on their ways. Ikuko was waiting patiently at the kitchen entrance, a wad of paper money clenched in her fist. She pushed it into Usagi's hands.

"I need milk, of course. There's a little extra if you want a candy bar or something." Ikuko explained, laughing lightly as her daughter's eyes lit up with excitement. The younger girl threw her arms around her mother's neck, hugging her tightly to express her gratitude.

"Thank you!" Slipping her shoes on, she grabbed her coat on the way out and left without further conversation. Once she walked outside, she immediately burrowed in the coat and looked up at the clouded sky. The last chills of winter were still lingering, and there was a good chance of snow tonight. She couldn't remember exactly why, but seeing snow always made her heart tingle unpleasantly.

Shaking off her thoughts, she entered the small market that was a convenient three blocks from the Tsukino household. The woman at the counter called out her name, greeting her pleasantly, and Usagi waved back. The two of them see each other at least once a week, seeing as Ikuko frequently runs out of cooking ingredients. Usagi had been coming on her own since she was thirteen.

Lifting the milk in her hands, Usagi walked down the candy aisle and picked up one of her favorite candy bars. She went to the counter, counting out the yen she would need to pay for the two items, and handed it the cashier with a warm smile.

"How have you been, Usagi-san?" The woman asked, ringing up the items.

"Very good, thanks. My grades have finally improved, so Okaasan is happy with me. Shingo can't make fun of me anymore, either." Usagi grinned at this, eyes sparkling with mirth as she remembered Shingo's downtrodden expression when she showed him her good grades.

"That's good to hear. Have a good day, Usagi-san." Usagi nodded in response, taking the change and her items before leaving the store. As soon as she stepped outside, she realized the temperature felt twice as cold as it had before. Unconsciously shivering, she made her way back towards her home with quick steps, anxious to return to the heat.

* * *

Stretching her arms out behind her, Usagi leaned back into her chair and exhaled deeply, releasing the tension in her muscles. Doing homework was not her favorite activity; she favored any distraction, so she rose from her desk and walked over to the window. Opening the curtains, she gazed out into the darkening sky. Snow had just started to fall, flakes whirling and dancing through the air, oblivious to the rest of the world and that they were about to hit the ground. 

Usagi's bright blue eyes darkened somewhat as the snow weaved through her line of vision, almost tauntingly. She raised her palm against the cold glass, trying to touch the snow with her fingertips. Her brain ached with the strain of trying to remember just who made her so sad to see the snow. Pressing her forehead against the glass, she quietly wept to herself as her heart called out to this unknown person.

All too suddenly, her telephone rang loudly, interrupting her reverie. She sniffled, pulling the curtains closed on the snow, and lifted the receiver to her ear. "Hello?" Her voice sounded a little scratchy, but there was no other evidence that she'd been briefly crying. Silence echoed in her ear, and not even the sound of someone breathing came through the phone. Before she got too freaked out and hung up, a voice did speak into her ear.

"Very soon the curse will reclaim you. The spell you've used to free yourself will be broken. Remember the snow, Rabbit-chan." The voice was so low, and whispering, that it was indistinguishable. A definite click followed the cryptic statement, and Usagi's trembling hand dropped the plastic receiver. It hit the edge of her nightstand and cracked before tumbling into the carpet.

'_What does this mean?_' Swallowing down her confusion, she bent down and picked up the phone once more. After making sure it was still working, she quickly dialed the number to the Cherry Hill Temple.

* * *

Ohayo! -gets attacked with flying objects- Gomen ne! You know I can't resist a new story! This idea hit me, and I simply could not resist. I have the next chapter ready to go but, you know the rules. No reviews, no enthusiasm, no updates. That's just my way. You see, when no one reviews, I get depressed and start thinking I suck and then I have no motivation to work on anything. So...review please! 

By the way, for fun, try to guess the crossover before it is revealed next chapter! I give a few hints: it isn't Harry Potter or Gundam Wing, it's mildly popular right now, and it has lots of cute bishounen! (Not very good clues, eh?)

♥SachiNyoko♥


	2. Chapter 2

Usagi sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, while she watched her best friend's reaction to her story. The raven-haired girl had offered to call up the rest of the senshi, but Usagi expressed the desire to keep the whole situation private for the time being. Now, though, Rei was extremely worried, and it showed.

"You have no idea who it could be or what they're talking about?" Rei asked, for at least the third time since she'd been told the strange statement. Usagi, also for the third time, shook her head negative and stared into the cup of tea that Rei had made when she arrived. Her consciousness wavered from the minimal amount of sleep she'd gotten after the strange phone message, but she waited patiently for Rei to say something more.

"It doesn't make much sense. If you had used a spell on yourself, you'd certainly remember it, right? Nothing we've learned about our past lives involves a curse of any kind. I can't piece it together." Rei said hopelessly. Usagi bit down on her lip, looking at Rei uncertainly. The soldier of Mars didn't miss the look, and she looked at the blonde girl earnestly. "If there's something you know, Usagi, you can say it. I want to protect you from this if I can, but I need your help. Do you remember anything from your pasts about this?"

"Well, I..." Usagi sniffled, looking down at her hands. Her blue eyes twinkled with confusion, and some fear, and the hesitation was apparent in her soft tones as she spoke. "I've never told anyone this before, Rei-chan. It's hard."

"Usagi, I'm here for you, as your senshi and as your friend. You can tell me anything." Rei reached across the table and placed her hands on Usagi's, offering a reassuring smile. The blonde took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, before she spoke.

"I was adopted. I don't remember anything about my parents or my life before the Tsukinos took me in. Everything before that time is a complete blank. All I know is that whenever it snows, I get really, really sad. I feel like there's something or someone missing, and that something is somehow related to the snow." Usagi covered her face with her hands, the familiar swell of sadness in her heart. "Why can't I just remember?"

Rei moved around the table, to Usagi's side, and pulled her into a comforting hug. Seeing someone as cheerful as Usagi look so lost and broken, it tore at her heart. Before she could say anything to cheer the blonde up, she heard someone shouting outside. Standing, she grabbed her broom from the floor and headed for the exit.

"Stay here, Usa-chan, I'll be right back." She said shortly, walking outside. The voices were getting closer, and if possible, even louder. Barely straining her ears, Rei could pick up the conversation.

"This is so stupid! All these damn shrine places are phony!" She heard one of the voices yell, obviously male, and full of annoyance. Rei scowled at the comment, but continued listening as another voice responded.

"No one forced you to come, stupid cat." The responding voice was much calmer, but it held the same tone of annoyance as the first. The first voice yelled something else, completely incoherent to Rei's listening ears.

"I'm sorry, Kyou, I didn't know you hated these places. We could've done something else if I'd known." A third voice said anxiously. This one was definitely feminine, Rei noted.

"It's no big deal." The first voice muttered. Rei was so absorbed in eavesdropping that when the three owners of the voices appeared at the top of the stairs, she nearly had a heart attack. It didn't take long for the raven-haired girl to regain composure, and she stared at the trio coolly with her broom firmly grasped in her right hand. The girl in the middle was the first to notice her.

"Oh, hello! Are you the priestess here?" The brunette girl asked, her eyes shining with admiration. Rei looked down, noting that she was indeed still wearing her priestess uniform. She observed the orange-haired boy to the right of the girl, and the silver-haired one on the left before responding.

"I'm a priestess-in-training. My grandfather owns the shrine, but we're closed today." She explained, watching with interest as the girl's face shone with disappointment.

"Oh my, where are my manners?" The girl exclaimed, making Rei's eyebrows lift in surprise as she bowed. "My name is Tohru Honda, and this is Yuki and Kyou. I'm sorry we bothered you on a day off, but Hana-chan said this was the best place to come."

"It's no problem." Rei said, shaking her head dismissively. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "You know Hanajima-san?"

"Yes, she's one of my best friends!" Tohru explained brightly. "You must be Hino-san, then. She said you would know her by name."

"Um...Rei-chan, is someone here?" Apparently, Usagi had gotten bored with waiting, for she was now standing in the doorway to the shrine, looking at the three strangers with her eyes slightly wide.

"Oh, Usagi-chan, I almost forgot you were here!" Rei said, laughing at the pouting expression that the blonde sent her. Seeing Usagi cheerful again made her much happier than she let on.

"Rei-chan, you're so mean." Usagi whined, before turning her attention back to the three people at the top of the huge staircase that led to the temple. She offered a bright smile at the three of them, which only Tohru returned. "I'm Usagi!"

"It's nice to meet you, Usagi-san! I'm Tohru Honda, and this is Yuki and Kyou." The brunette repeated a second time, bowing just as she had to Rei. Usagi looked over the orange-haired boy dubbed 'Kyou,' who looked at her with sheer irritation, before she turned her gaze to the one named Yuki. As soon as she made eye contact with the silvery haired youth, she felt a familiar pain in her chest.

Only this time, it was much more pronounced than when she seen snow. She cradled her head in her hands, whimpering as her head throbbed. The pain felt like her brain was literally tearing in two, causing her knees to buckle. Rei attempted to catch the falling girl, but her weight was too much, and they both ended up falling. Usagi groaned, her eyes scrunched up in pain.

"Usagi, what's wrong?" Rei asked frantically, checking Usagi for some source of pain, but nothing external presented itself. She glared at the boy named Yuki accusingly. "What did you do?"

"I didn't..." Yuki couldn't respond. His normally expressionless demeanor was replaced with shock, and he couldn't will himself to speak. One minute the girl was looking at him, and the next she collapsed in pain. How could he possibly explain that? All at once, Usagi tense form relaxed, breathing heavily. She pulled herself up to her knees, resting her hands on the concrete to keep her balance.

"Yuki...as in snow?" Her blue eyes looked up at Yuki, watery and hopeful at the same time. "Oniisan?"

* * *

Wai! Now you know the crossover! Well, maybe. If not, it's Fruits Basket/Sailor Moon. We are just getting started in this story, though; there are so many questions to be answered. 

By the way, incase there's people who don't know, 'Oniisan' is the Japanese word for big brother. For now, the chapters are kind of short, but I promise to lengthen them eventually.

I'm just an updating machine lately. I've already started on a nice chunk of chapter 7 to Oh Brawling Love and chapter 10 to Forbidden Dreams, not to mention the next installment for this! Be on the lookout for those, and review! There are way too few Fruits Basket/Sailor Moon crossovers out there, so get motivated and write a good one! I'll be dying to read it. :)

♥SachiNyoko♥


	3. Chapter 3

"Oniisan!" Both Tohru and Kyou repeated the blonde's words. On one hand, Tohru sounded delighted, if not a little shocked. She knew Yuki had an older brother, Ayame, but she'd never heard of him having a younger sister. On the other hand, Kyou was in disbelief. Yuki didn't have a sister, he was sure of it, but the look on the blonde's face suggested that she believed the opposite.

"Um...Usagi-san, right? I don't have a sister." Yuki replied softly, ignoring the two's outbursts. Though he'd tried to be as gentle as possible, he could tell the girl was getting more distraught by the second.

"You really don't remember me..." Usagi trailed. Her eyes trembled with sadness, threatening to spill tears down her flushed cheeks. She slowly lifted herself to the ground, standing at eye-level with the person she knew, she just _knew_ was her brother. Her knowing, however, was simply not proof, so she bowed like Tohru had to her and smiled shakily. "I'm sorry, Yuki-san, I must be mistaken."

"Usagi," Rei called, frowning as the blonde turned away and walked back into the shrine. The priestess-in-training looked at the trio, less than pleased, before she announced, "I'm sorry, but we really are closed today. Come back during the week if you wish to do business."

"Yes, Hino-san, sorry for intruding," Tohru bowed once more before turning and leading the two Sohmas down the temple stairs. As soon as they were out of sight, Rei spun and ran back towards the shrine. When she entered the room, she found no traces of Usagi anywhere.

* * *

Her legs were wobbling beneath her like Jell-O. The stabs at her overworked lungs felt like needles, constantly prodding. Every muscle in her cried out for immediate rest. No matter how much her body protested, however, she would not stop running. Even if the tears in her eyes prevented her from seeing wherever she was going, she couldn't stop moving.

She knew, no matter how much physical discomfort she felt, it couldn't compare to the way her heart tore in two when she heard Yuki's words. As the word fell from his lips, so innocently, she felt her world spin off its axis. '_I don't have a sister._'

Why? That's what she wanted to know most of all; why did it have to happen this way? Were Ayame's memories of her erased as well? Had all the Sohmas chosen to forget her, like she never even existed? She didn't care. The only person she wanted to remember, the only one she loved completely didn't remember her at all. Her legs finally gave out, half way into the park, so she flung her arms around the nearest tree and slumped to her knees.

'_It's all Akito's fault. No, it's mine, for being foolish enough to think I could change anything._' Usagi thought bitterly, letting the sobs rise from her throat freely. A layer of snow still coated the ground from the previous night's storm. The thick, gray clouds covered the sky, and the sun hadn't shone all day. The whole world was cold, but Usagi felt colder, knowing that her only real family barely knew her name.

Picking herself up off the frigid ground, she decided to head home before pneumonia became an issue. With luck, she could get past her Okaasan and Shingo without any conversation, and sleep her grief off before tomorrow. As soon as she pulled the front door closed quietly behind her, though, her Okaasan appeared from the kitchen looking quite happy.

"Usagi! Look what I found today," Ikuko held her hand out, where a silver snowflake rested, a chain winding behind it and dangling freely. "I found it today, out in the flowerbed beneath your window."

Usagi had been looking at the floor this whole time, but she finally raised her vision enough to see the necklace. It brought on a whole new wave of emotion as it glittered in the dim light of the Tsukino home.

"I remember, the first time I tried to give you a bath you refused to take this off. After that I realized you wore it everywhere, even to bed. One day, I asked you why you never took the necklace off. You stared at me, almost like you were scared, and ran up to your room. You wouldn't come out of your room for a whole day. I was about to call a locksmith when you came out, and you were smiling so big. I didn't see it anymore after that."

"I was scared." Ikuko looked at her daughter's flushed face, surprised. "I was scared because I knew there was someone important who gave me that, but I couldn't remember them, and I was so confused. I tried and tried to remember, but gave up he next day and threw the necklace out my window. I figured if I couldn't remember, then maybe I wasn't supposed to."

'_But I was supposed to remember you, Yuki, no matter what Akito wanted. _'

* * *

Yuki unraveled his scarf from around him, before pulling off the heavy coat that had been weighing him down all day. It was necessary of course, due to his medical condition, but since he'd met the girl at the shrine it seemed to be the lesser of things weighing him down. He knew for a fact he'd never had a sister, but something about the girl seemed familiar. The only way to be sure, was to do a thing he simply would not submit to: calling Ayame.

Then again, he reasoned, Shigure might be just as well to ask, but he wasn't anxious to talk to the hyperactive dog either. Neither Tohru nor Kyou had said a word about the girl after they left the Cherry Hill Temple. Of course, he never expected Kyou to, but he could tell Tohru was worried. The last thing he wanted to do was burden her with his unimportant problems. Still, something was tugging at his brain, telling him that this was quite important.

"Yuki, I made you some soup to warm you up. It would be bad if you got a cold!" Tohru announced from the kitchen entry-way. Apparently, he'd been standing at the doorway in thought for much longer than he though. Tohru had already suited up in an apron and started preparing dinner.

"Thank you, Honda-san." Yuki said, smiling gently at the brunette girl before following her into the kitchen. Shigure was already present at the dinner table, humming to himself as he waited to be served. Kyou was absent, meaning the cat was probably up on the roof like always.

"Is something bothering you, Yuki?" Shigure asked, pausing mid-tune to look over at the rat. "You aren't getting sick, are you?"

"No, it's not that at all." Yuki assured. "It's just that...do you know a girl named Usagi?"

The dog's reaction to the question wasn't quite what Yuki had thought it might be. His eyes widened, just barely, as he looked the rat straight in the eyes. He drifted for a moment, as if remembering something, before he shook his head lightly.

"No, it doesn't ring a bell. Why do you ask?" Shigure pressed, giving Yuki an expression of curiosity. Normally, Yuki wouldn't go into detail, but Shigure's reaction made him certain that the dog knew something more, something he was purposely keeping from him.

"Well, you see, she said the strangest thing to me. She thought I was her older brother." Yuki answered coolly, watching closely for Shigure's reaction. He appeared to be shocked, more so than really necessary.

"What a strange thing to say indeed." Shigure agreed. He quickly changed the subject as Tohru served the soup, asking her if she bought anything at the shrine. Tohru shook her head, explaining that it had been closed, all the while setting out a bowl for Kyou. Moments later, the orange-haired teen appeared, looking rather hungry as he sat down at the table.

Yuki sipped at his soup lightly, mind wandering elsewhere. Shigure's reaction to his questions had him even more confused than before. The possibility of the strange blonde being his sister seemed a little higher now, but there was one thing he couldn't figure out. If what she said was true, and they are siblings, why couldn't he remember?

"Hatori!" he breathed, his hand stopping midway between his bowl of soup and his mouth. The other three at the table stared, wondering what had come over the normally composed rat. Yuki dropped his spoon back into the bowl, and wiped at his mouth with a napkin.

"That was delicious, Honda-san, thank you. I'm feeling a bit tired, I think I'll retire for the evening. Excuse me." The silver-haired youth rose from the table and disappeared from the dining room, ascending the stairs to the second floor. All the while, his mind reeled with the possibility that Hatori had tampered with his memories.

'_If so, though, how was it possible for her to remember?_' He thought, stopping at the top of the stairs. The image of Usagi collapsing in pain flashed through his mind, and he wondered if maybe her seeing him had sparked her memories. But, if that were the case, wouldn't it work the other way around?

The rat felt a headache coming on, so he quickly made it to his room and collapsed onto his bed. Without thinking to change, he began to drift into slumber. Before he lost consciousness, he vowed to speak with Hatori on the matter.

* * *

Shigure slid the door to his study closed, listening as the last sounds of feet climbing the stairs died away. Pacing over to his desk, he picked up the phone receiver and dialed the number to Hatori's office. He knew the doctor would still be there, even at this hour, working away. The ring ended abruptly, and his voice came clearly over the line, "Hatori, speaking."

"Hello, Hatori. I have a story about a high school girl--" A sweatdrop appeared over Shigure's head as he heard the definite click in his ear. He quickly redialed. "You're so mean, Hari!"

"I'm busy, Shigure, what do you want." Hatori answered calmly. Shigure stayed silent for a few moments, and Hatori sat up straight in his seat.

"Hatori, Ame-chan remembers."

* * *

Wai. -.-;; Someone pointed out that Yuki's hair is a more purple-ish black color, and it is in the anime, but I'm more fond of the manga. It leads me to believe that Yuki's hair is silver-ish gray, so that's why I'm going with that variation. I really think it can go either way.

Also, someone inquired on whether Usagi is a member of the zodiac, and the answer is yes! –cheers in the background- Eh? Who's cheering? Anyway, I'm sure you're wondering how that's possible since Usagi has hugged Mamoru countless times, and other situations blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to give everything away here, but it has to do with the weird phone message in the first chapter, and I quote, "The spell you used to free yourself will be broken."

And that's all I'm saying! –laughs as reviewers start going crazy-

Oh yeah, for those who aren't harboring three Japanese to English dictionaries like me, Ame means Rain in Japanese. It can also mean candy or sweet if it's used as a noun. :) Yuki means snow, and Ayame means Iris (the flower, not your eyeball color). What an odd combination of names. Anyway, yes Ame was Usagi's name before she became Usagi in this story. No, I'm not changing her name; she will continue to be Usagi.

One more thing! The pairing for Usagi will be between Kyou and Hatsuharu, even though I do like the Haru/Rin thing. I'm a little more towards Kyou anyway. Thank you, and please review! I'm working my tail off to make sure that this is updated regularly, unlike my other stories, and I need reviews. They are like candy...

SachiNyoko


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:**

Yuki's hair is silver in this story, because the depictions of him in the manga always show silver/gray hair as opposed to the darker color he has in the anime. Also, it falls into place better that way, considering the subsequent scene in which Usagi wakes up to a different look. I know, it's a bad ploy and bad writing to do this, but I really can't think of any other way. Gomen.

* * *

Groggily, Usagi opened her eyelids and yawned. Her head still hurt from crying so much the night before, but she pulled herself out of the bed regardless. A hot shower was just what she needed to relax a little. Picking a random outfit from her closet, she made sure it at least matched before padding her way to the bathroom.

She could hear her mother downstairs, already in the kitchen and making coffee. Shaking her head lightly, she wondered how her Okaasan managed. As she shook her head, though, she noticed it felt a lot lighter than it usually did. Wrinkling her brow, she raised her hands to the ends of her hair, shocked to meet them just below her shoulders. Dashing into the bathroom, she took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

It took all will power to shove the bundle of clothes over her mouth before she screamed. Not only was her hair much shorter, but it was a dull silver color, bordering on gray. Thankfully, her eyes were still blue, but they were a lot darker than before. Squinting up her eyes at her foreign reflection, it suddenly hit her why she looked so familiar.

'_This is what Ame looked like, what I'm supposed to look like._' She ran her fingers through her hair once more, already missing the long streamers. '_I wonder what Mamo-chan will think._'

At this thought, her eyes instantly saddened. Mamoru hadn't responded to any of her calls or letters to America, even though she made or sent them every other day. In all the chaos of the past two days, she hadn't called or wrote him. Sighing, she cleared her head of the thoughts and turned on the hot water.

* * *

"Okaa-san, where's the phone book?" Usagi called from the bottom of the stairs. She didn't exactly want her Okaasan to see her new look, mostly because she didn't know how to explain. The line 'I woke up this way' was not very believable, after all.

"It's in the living room, dear." The blonde-turned-silver-haired girl shouted a thank you before walking towards said room. The phonebook was rested on the coffee table, as her mother had said. She sat on the couch, pulling the large book into her lap. As she flipped the pages looking for 'S,' she wondered what name the main house would be listed under. She quickly found it wasn't Akito.

"Hmm," Not surprisingly, few of the Sohmas were listed in the phone book at all. There was one name, however, that caught her attention. '_Sohma, Shigure_' Shakily, her finger traced across the page to the number. Checking around for any of her family member, she tore the chunk with Shigure's number and replaced the phonebook in its spot on the table. Quickly, she made her way back to her room and picked up the phone.

'_Will Shigure be home?_' Bracing herself, she dialed the number on the scrap of paper, and waited. It wrung a perfect three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" The voice was female, and it sounded pretty familiar. Usagi hesitated, not sure what to say, or what she would say once Shigure was on the other end of the line. Her pause was so long, the girl had to call again, "Hello?"

"Um...hi. May I speak to Shigure?" Her voice portrayed her anxiousness, she knew, but the female on the other end agreed and set the phone down. Nothing was heard for several moments, until a male voice called 'I got it!' There was a click of a phone being picked up, followed by another one being hung up, and finally someone spoke.

"Hello, this is Shigure," the voice declared loudly. Usagi froze, opening her mouth to reply, but unable to find the words. The line stayed silent for several seconds until Shigure spoke again. "Oh my, nothing to say then? Maybe I have a stalker. This is so exciting!"

Usagi found herself smiling at the sing-song voice in her ear, but her mirth melted into tears at the flood of memories that assailed her. The voice on the line was silent, apparently hearing the sobs, and not knowing what to say. Usagi found her voice, but it was rattled with tears, "G-Gure-chan."

"Ame-chan," The dog said it so quietly, that it sounded as if he didn't want to believe it, or he didn't want to get his hopes up. "Ame-chan, is that you?"

"Gure-chan, Oniisan doesn't remember me." The silver-haired girl said shakily, gripping the phone as tight as she could. "I don't know what to do."

"Ame, where are you?"

* * *

Usagi leaned from one foot to the other, bursting with nervous energy. Somehow, in the whirlwind of conversation that followed Shigure's question, they'd planned to meet in the park ten minutes from the current time. Vaguely, Usagi remembered that she'd been crying her eyes out in this very park yesterday. Shivering, she pulled her coat tighter around her and bundled up the best she could.

"Ame-chan?" Usagi turned, smiling brightly at the dark-haired man behind her. Before anything more could be said, the rabbit leapt at Shigure, hugging him as tightly as she could. The dog laughed, returning the hug.

"It's Usagi now, Gure-chan." She whispered.

"Well, Usagi, if you don't let go I think I might go to jail." Shigure chuckled, a little nervously as a passing woman glared at him. Were people on a one-track mind these days, or what? Usagi giggled and let go of him. "I understand you have some questions for me?"

"Yes!" The rabbit nodded vigorously, "I have lots."

"Well, let's take them one at a time. Sit down, first." Nodding, Usagi sat down next to the dog on the nearest bench. She took a deep breath, and asked the first question that came to her.

"Is there any way to get Yuki to remember me?" Of course, Usagi knew of a way to get Yuki to remember her, but it wasn't an alternative she wanted to use. The less the Sohmas knew about her being Sailor Moon, the better.

"Truthfully, you'd have to ask Hatori. I have no idea how that works." Shigure admitted, looking a little disheartened that her first question was something he couldn't answer. Usagi nodded her understanding.

"Did everyone else forget me too? Does Ayame remember? Haru? Momiji?" The silver-haired girl counted off the people on her fingers, looking hopeful.

"Yes, everyone else remembers you. Only yours and Yuki's memories were erased, that's the way Akito wanted it." Shigure replied, half-smiling. Usagi looked quite happy at this announcement, but she quickly launched another question at him.

"Gure-chan, who has my journals," she asked quietly.

"I do. I was going to give them to Ayame, but I didn't know if you'd want him to read all that. You know, Hatori was never angry with you. Hari acts like that a lot, but he really liked you." Shigure answered. Usagi looked surprised for a moment, before she pouted.

"You read _all_ of it?" She whined, earning a laugh from Shigure.

"Yes, and I thought it was so adorable how you referred to it as 'Book-chan.'" He said, turning Usagi an impressive shade of red.

"Gure-chan no baka, I was only six years old." She sniffled, punching him in the shoulder lightly. "I only have one more question, Shigure. Can you take me to the main house?"

* * *

Yuki removed his coat as he walked into the main house, instantly feeling the heat. It wasn't surprising that the temperature was this way, because Akito was very sickly himself and no one wanted him to catch a cold. Well, no one that wanted to admit it anyway.

The halls were surprisingly, and fortunately, fairly empty. The rat paced his steps perfectly as he made the familiar route to Hatori's office. He wondered what the dragon's reaction would be to see him at the main house, present at one of his monthly check-ups no less. As he reached the door, he hesitated briefly, going over in his mind how he wanted to ask his question. Taking a short breath, he knocked.

"Come in," called the deep voice of Hatori. Yuki dropped his hand to the doorknob, twisting it slowly. As soon as the door swung forward, he was granted one of Hatori's rare surprised expressions. Fighting off the instinct to simply turn and walk away, he entered the room, closing the door behind him. By then, Hatori's expression had returned to normal. "Yuki, what a surprise. Sit down."

The silver-haired boy did as instructed without any greeting. Now face-to-face with Hatori, his mind went blank on him, leaving him completely silent. Sensing this, Hatori spoke for him. "Though I'd be glad to hear it, I daresay you're not here for your monthly check-up. Is there something on your mind?"

"Have you ever messed with my memories?" Yuki asked, blunt and to the point. He stared Hatori down, gouging for a reaction, but the dragon had a much better poker face than Shigure. He leaned back in his chair, contemplating how to answer, and Yuki was certain more than ever that something was being kept from him. Meanwhile, Hatori was pondering the phone call that he'd received from Shigure the previous night.

"Why do you ask?" He finally said, giving the rat a piercing look. Yuki looked slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't been expecting a back-and-forth. He figured Hatori, of all people, would give him a straightforward answer. Hatori, however, had obligations of his own, like Akito's orders. He couldn't tell Yuki the truth, but he could try to help him figure it out for himself.

"A girl I met, she said she was my sister, but I don't remember her at all. The only way I could think it possible is if you had tampered with my memories." Once again, the rat gave a concise answer, and watched closely for Hatori's reaction. The dragon's eyes drifted over the lone picture in his office, his favorite picture of Kana.

"How do you know she isn't lying?" He asked, turning his eyes back to meet Yuki's. The rat was taken by surprise once more, and he pondered the question for a moment. He realized, it went beyond Shigure's reactions to his interrogating. The way she'd called him Oniisan and the look in her eyes when he told her he didn't have a sister, like her heart had shattered.

"I don't know for sure that she isn't, but..." Yuki paused, conjuring her hurt expression once more, "but I don't think she's lying." If his eyes weren't playing tricks, he thought he saw the smallest hint of a smile on Hatori's lips.

"Let me ask you this, then, Yuki. Have you ever looked outside at the rain, and felt saddened for no reason? Have you ever felt like maybe someone is missing?" Yuki's eyes widened, extremely. His shock was blatant in his features, as he stared at Hatori. The dragon looked mildly satisfied as he looked out the window, watching the snow drift softly by. "That's all I have to say on the matter. Unless you want your check-up, you should leave."

"Ame," This time, a smile did come to Hatori's face, if only for a moment. Yuki missed it, since the doctor had turned his chair to face the other way. He listened contentedly as Yuki left the room, closing the door with a soft click.

* * *

Oh my, does Yuki-kun remember? Do you see the connection, though? Yuki-snow and Ame-rain. Yuki's sad when he sees rain, and Usagi's sad when she sees snow. I think I like writing shorter chapters. As opposed to long ones, it keeps my ideas flowing, it demands a lot less, and it enables me to update much quicker. Yes, most of the Sohmas already know Usagi. That's to be expected since she grew up at the main house before her memories were erased and she was adopted into the Tsukino family.

Anyway, it might not surprise you to know that Shigure and Usagi were pretty close when she was little. As for the aforementioned journals, you'll just have to wait and see. I've already written out several entries, and I'm quite fond of them. -smiles-

Please rest assured that anything in the story that contradicts a truth or characteristic of a person will be completely explained and justified. I really do try to stay along with the original characters and story the best I can, but sometimes you get that urge to wander off into oblivion. Feel free to set me straight if you see me wandering.

If you're questioning Hatori's character here, then let me explain myself. I get the impression from the manga that Hatori is a very kind and gentle person, even though he generally appears cold on the outside. Also, he strikes me as very straightforward, so I don't think he would lie about anything, even if he didn't come out with the whole truth.

For instance, in volume 8 of the manga, when Ritsu is talking about how he wishes he were as confident as Ayame, Hatori tells him, "Ayame aside, the people around you aren't blaming you or criticizing you as much as you think, so you can have a little more composure." Therefore, I tried to play off these characteristics in the previous scene by making him truthful with Yuki, if not a little vague due to the whole issue with Akito.

From the looks of it, you guys love Kyou as much as I do. He might just overwhelm poor Haru with the support. Maybe you'll feel a little different after Usa and Haru meet up again. Until next time, review!


	5. Chapter 5

If only Yuki had stayed at the main house for five more minutes, maybe to say hey to Hatsuharu or Momiji, he might've caught Usagi and Shigure on their way in. Perhaps if Shigure hadn't asked Usagi if she was certain she wanted to visit the main house twenty-seven times before they left the park, they might've caught Yuki on his way out. Either way, they all ended up missing each other.

One person Usagi and Shigure did not miss, however, was a very blonde and very hyper rabbit who was playing tag with Kisa in the halls. As soon as Usagi hung her coat on the coat rack, she was enveloped in a monster hug.

"AME!" Momiji shouted, loud enough to leave the girl's ears ringing, along with Shigure's. Usagi laughed lightly, returning Momiji's enthusiastic greeting wholeheartedly. Kisa immediately hid behind Shigure, unsure of the girl she'd never met before.

"Kisa, what are you hiding for?" Momiji asked, tugging on the girl's arm. Usagi heard the girl mumble something, which in turn made Momiji laugh. "There's nothing to be scared of, Kisa, Ame is the nicest person ever!"

"Um...it's Usagi now, Miji-chan." The rabbit informed, smiling gently down at the now half-visible girl. She didn't miss the striped ears turned down against the young girl's head. "You must be the tiger, Kisa. I'm Usagi. You can come out now; I promise I won't hurt you."

Usagi knelt down to her level, simply melting at the timid look in the girl's large, brown eyes. She held out her hand encouragingly, urging the girl to take it. Just as Kisa appeared to be stretching her own arm outward, someone pushed Usagi violently from the side, causing her to topple over.

"Leave Kisa alone already. If she doesn't want to talk to you then don't try to make her, stupid. That goes double for you, you dumb rabbit." Usagi looked up at the boy, thoroughly shocked. Shigure, meanwhile, was quite enjoying the show and making no moves to help either side.

"Hiro, don't be mean to Am--er, Usagi! She hasn't been to the main house in years!" Momiji whined, looking down at the sheep disapprovingly. Hiro scoffed, walking to Kisa's side and taking her hand.

"Like I care, she should've stayed away." He snapped. His expression changed to one of pain, however, as a gloved hand connected with the top of his head. Usagi followed the arm up to another familiar face.

"Don't be rude, Hiro. You guys are making too much noise." Hatsuharu's eyes traveled lazily over the group, but as soon as he reached Usagi, they widened considerably.

"Ame-chan?" He asked, disbelievingly.

"Usagi-chan!" Momiji chirped, correcting the ox's mistake. Usagi smiled, nodding an affirmative.

"Well, Usagi, it seems you incite chaos wherever you go! Just like the old days," Shigure sighed wistfully, smiling fondly off into the distance. Usagi sweatdropped at him, accepting Hatsuharu's helping hand and rising to her feet once more.

"So your name is Usagi now?" Hatsuharu asked, over the initial shock and back to his dull tone. The silver-haired girl nodded, smiling softly. "You know who gave you that name?"

"No, I don't." She replied, looking surprised at the question. Hatsuharu smiled ever-so-slightly.

"Yuki did, before they erased his memories. He gave you the name Usagi, for rabbit, but I always thought that Ame suited you better." His slight-smile widened at the blush that appeared on Usagi's cheeks, before asking, "So what brings you to the main house?"

"Ah," Her blue eyes glanced over at Shigure guiltily, before dropping to the floor. "I kind of...wanted to see Akito." Hatsuharu's expression hardened, making Usagi even more nervous than before.

"Usagi, maybe it's a little too soon for that." Shigure suggested. "Besides, Hatori tells me that he's been feeling very tired lately, so he's probably not in the condition to see anyone right now."

"Usagi-chan, play hide and seek with us!" Momiji cried, pulling on the rabbit's arm. The downtrodden expression that highlighted Usagi's face disappeared, and she smiled brightly at the blonde boy.

"That sounds like fun, Miji-chan."

* * *

Yuki stared down at his homework, certain that this was the first time he'd been too distracted to work on it. After his visit with Hatori, he had so many more questions and no one else to ask. He'd remembered a name, but there was nothing else to go by; no face, no voice, nothing. Beyond that he knew that if he really had an estranged sister out there of which he had no memory, Akito was somehow involved. 

The next question, of course, was why would Akito want to split the two of them up in the first place? Knowing Akito's vindictiveness, it could be any number of things, but as far as he'd known there hadn't been any members of the zodiac that'd been completely ostracized from the family.

'_Of course, if memories were erased, who would know?_' Yuki told himself, resigning to close his text book and try again later. As he did, he heard a knock on the front door, and paused. Shigure had left hours ago, Tohru and Kyou had gone shopping, and no one ever visited the house. Or at least, no one who bothered to knock first. The rat descended the stairs, tilting his head as the knock sounded again.

He reached the front door, opening it abruptly and meeting gazes with a set of dark, dark red eyes. Unable to think of something to say, Yuki just stared as the woman smiled at him. She moved her eyes to look past him, looking into the house.

"I'm sorry, are you the only one home?" She asked, turning back to him again. Unnerved, Yuki couldn't speak, so he simply nodded. "I see, sorry to intrude. Thank you."

"Wait, who are you looking for? I can tell them you stopped by." Yuki called. Outside his line of vision, the woman smiled, tucking strands of her long hair behind her ear.

"I was looking for Ame," and with that, the woman completely disappeared. Yuki blinked, hard, for several minutes to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. Every time he opened them, however, the woman was still gone. He shook his head, dismissing the strange occurrence, and grabbed the mail before he went back inside the house. Flipping through it quickly, he noted it was all Shigure's.

Yuki slid open the door to the dog's office, quickly making his way to the chaotic desk. As he prepared to drop the assortment of mail on the wooden surface, his eyes caught sight of a frameless picture lying on top of two notebooks. Unable to contain his curiosity, he sat the mail down and bent closer to the image.

The photo showed a much younger Shigure, laughing jovially. Next to him stood Ayame, also younger and, as everyone said, looking like his identical twin with longer hair. At the knees of the two was a young girl with silver-gray hair. Her child-like face was enveloped in a large grin, as she latched her arms around a young boy with an identical shade of hair, who looked quite surprised. Yuki froze as he realized, the boy in the picture was him.

To his own surprise, his hands shook as he reached for the picture. He sat it aside as he lifted the notebook in his hands. Scrawled in a child's hand across the front was, 'Book-chan, from Gure-chan'. The rat paused, assuring to himself that the house was deserted. He felt like he was imposing on something very secret, and didn't want to be caught. Satisfied with the silence, he opened the notebook to the first page, and quietly read to himself.

_Dear Book-chan,_

_Yes, that's your new name, Book-chan! Gure-chan gave you to me, because I told him there were a lot of things I have to say, but no one to say them to. He told me he had a book just like you once! Gure-chan is going to be a great novelist someday. I wish I had something I wanted to be sometimes. It's kind of hard, because Akito says I wasn't supposed to be born._

_I've never met Akito before, though. I heard Gure-chan and Ayame-san talking about it the other day. I've heard he says really mean things to people, but I bet deep down he's really a nice person. Book-chan, I have to go, Haru just came to play with me! I'll write back all the time though. Love Ame!_

Subconsciously, Yuki gulped. He glanced at the picture on the desk, and he felt convinced now that he had a sister. The only thing confusing him was the difference in appearance between the girl in the photograph, and the girl he'd met recently. Turning back to the notebook, he flipped through a little ways.

_Dear Book-chan,_

_Today was my sixth birthday! Oniisan gave me the prettiest necklace, shaped just like snowflake. I wonder where he got it. Even Ayame-san came to the main house! He gave me this really pretty dress, which he told me he made himself. I thought it was kind of weird for a boy to make girl's clothes, but I don't know very much about Ayame-san so I didn't much care. _

_What did bother me was that he didn't speak to Oniisan the whole time he was here, and I think Yuki was very sad. I wanted to ask Ayame-san why he didn't talk to Oniisan, but I didn't think that it was the kind of question that should be asked. I think Hatsuharu was worried, but I told him everything was fine. Everything is fine, right Book-chan?_

_Dear Book-chan,_

_Today, Yuki, Momiji, Haru, and I played hide and seek at the main house in the snow. We had so much fun. Hari-chan told Yuki not to go outside because of his asthma, but I begged him to play with us, and now he's very sick. Hari-chan and Gure-chan tell me I can't see him. He's been having bad attacks all day, I can hear it from outside, and it almost feels like it hurts me. _

_I shouldn't have asked Yuki to play when I knew it would be bad, but he's been so sad lately. I called Ayame-san but he said he was busy and couldn't come see Yuki. I think it would make Oniisan feel better, but I understand Ayame-san doesn't like to come to the main house often. I really miss him sometimes, but as long as I have Yuki, I should be okay._

_Dear Book-chan, _

_Lately, everyone's been talking about Akito. He's in a very bad mood, and I think it's because of me. I was looking for Oniisan, since he'd been missing for two days, and I found him in this room. He said Akito put him there, and he told me to leave. I didn't want to, Oniisan looked so scared, but he promised me he'd be okay. I think Akito saw me when I was leaving, but I'm too worried about Oniisan to care._

_It feels like everything bad that happens to Oniisan is my fault. I make him sad, and then when I try to cheer him up he gets sick, and Hari-chan gets mad at me. Gure-chan says it isn't my fault at all, but I don't believe him. I wish me and Oniisan could live by ourselves, away from the main house. We could play everyday, and he would never get sick, and he'd never be sad. It can never happen, though._

_Dear Book-chan,_

_Lately, Oniisan has been getting worse and worse. I know it's my fault. He just keeps getting farther and farther away from me. I'm running and running after him, but he won't stop. I call out his name, I say, "Oniisan, come back!" but he doesn't hear me. It's like a scary dream, where I'm chasing Yuki's shadow. If only there was a way to make him see how much I care, I would show him._

_I called Ayame-san and told him that Oniisan was very sad. I asked him why he wouldn't come see Yuki, and he said, "I just cant, Ame-chan." I don't understand why at all, and I don't understand why Oniisan is so sad. What will I do if he hates me?_

Engrossed, Yuki kept flipped the pages, reading entries to himself as he went. Every page he turned, he felt like he really knew the little girl who was writing, and deep down he realized that he did. As he reached the second book, the memories he was reading seemed to be almost real to him. He wanted to remember them. As he flipped towards the last page, one of the titles jumped out at him. He eased himself into Shigure's chair and began to read.

_Dearest, dearest Yuki,_

_Today they told me that you and I are going to be separated. I'm writing this hoping it will find you someday; wishing so much that you'll remember your little sister. My memories of you will be erased, I know, but Oniisan you are always in my heart. If I could, I would make you healthy and strong, and we could be together always. You're the best brother anyone could ask for, and there are some things I want to tell you._

_Ayame loves you. He doesn't know how to show it, and I know he feels badly about it. I think he tries to make up for it by loving me as much as he does, but don't push him away Yuki. If the day comes when Ayame wants to show his affections for you as his brother, please try to accept him Yuki._

_Please don't hate Akito. He's a very mean person on the outside, but underneath that he's hurting really bad. I can see it when I look at him, just like I can see your pain, Oniisan. He's just misguided. Someday I'll come back to the main house, I'll show him what a good person he is._

_Finally, Yuki, I want to say that I love you. You'll always be my big brother, even if we don't remember each other. I'll think of you every time I see the snow fall outside, and maybe you'll remember me a little when it rains. Stay strong, Oniisan._

_Love always, your imouto-chan_

As Yuki lowered the notebook to the desk, he felt a strange feeling. He looked over at the picture once more, but it seemed blurred. Reaching his fingers to his cheekbones, he realized that he was crying.

* * *

Does Yuki cry? He does now. So...I was in Miami for a month. This new hit count thing confuses me a bit. I have 243 hits for this story...and 39 reviews. Something is getting lost in translation here. Are there really that many people who just don't like the story? Are there just like twenty people who read it over and over? It's weird. 

Anyway, Momiji and Haru have arrived, along with Hiro and Kisa! If you feel like anything needs to be explained, please point it out and I'll try my best. Review, review, review! There are like 204 more hits than reviews! That's no coincidence! Don't just read and go, drop a line or two for encouragement to an authoress with a low self-esteem. Till next time!

♥SachiNyoko♥

Haru: If I didn't do that you would never have stopped. Oh, and don't try this at home.

Kyou: You shouldn't have tried it here! Who are you talking to anyway?


	6. Chapter 6

"So, what does one do with their freedom from the zodiac?" Hatsuharu asked, wiping his brow with the back of his glove. He sat next to Usagi, who was watching Momiji chase after Hiro. The silver-haired girl smiled lightly as she thought about her years away from the Sohmas, mostly of being Sailor Moon.

"I don't know. It wasn't all it's cracked up to be, being free of the curse," she replied breezily, her eyes on the sky now. "I'd rather have stayed here, I think, even though I did make some really dear friends."

"I see." Hatsuharu said evenly, watching as Hiro now chased the hyper Momiji across the yard. Usagi turned her head toward the ox, noting how much her friend had changed since she last seen him. Getting lost in her nostalgia, she didn't realize she was staring until Hatsuharu had turned towards her with his eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, just thinking about when we were kids. Haru-chan, how has Yuki been?" Anyone could see the blue-eyed girl had been itching to ask the question, for she said it very quickly and gave Hatsuharu her full attention in waiting for an answer. Chuckling to himself, he looked pensive for a moment before replying.

"Honestly, he wasn't doing that good until recently. That girl, Tohru Honda, seems to have an effect on him." At this, Usagi reflected on the brunette girl that'd been with Yuki the day she seen them at Rei's temple. She appeared rather ditzy, albeit cheerful, somewhat similar to herself when she was Sailor Moon. Not to say she wasn't still a little ditzy and clumsy from time to time, but in general it had toned done quite a bit.

As she thought, Shigure returned from his meeting with Hatori, and his brief visit with Akito. Judging from his grave expression, things didn't go over quite as well as they'd hoped. Usagi looked up at the dog, expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

"I told Akito you were back, and that your memories had returned." Shigure announced.

"Well? Did you ask him if I could see Yuki?" The silver-haired girl asked eagerly.

"I did...he forbids it. Now that your memories have returned, he thinks it would be best if you moved into the main house." Shigure appeared to be unfinished, but Usagi didn't mind cutting him off.

"He wants to erase my adoptive family's memories? He wants me to come back to the Sohmas but I can't see Yuki? Gure-chan, I want to talk to him myself." Usagi stood, so she'd be more level with Shigure, but she was still much shorter than him.

"Usagi--"

"It's really important to me. Please, Shigure." Shigure looked into the younger girl's pleading eyes, and heaved a sigh.

"I'll ask if he'll see you. I can't promise anything." As the words left the older man's mouth, a frantic beeping sound filled the brief silence after his statement. They sat for a moment, listening to the oddly intruding noise, until Usagi realized it was her watch. With a small squeak she jumped up.

"I'm late! I'll be right back; I need to use one of the phones." Just like that, the silver-haired girl sprinted off. As soon as she found a sufficiently empty room, with a phone for good measure, she flipped open the communicator/watch. An annoyed Rei glared at her from the small screen.

"Usagi no baka! I've been calling your house since--WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?" A large sweatdrop appeared over Usagi's head at Rei's expression. It didn't take long for the black-haired girl to be shoved aside and Minako to pop up.

"Uwa! Usagi it's so cool!" The blonde girl squealed. Rei wrestled the communicator back and huffed in annoyance. Trying not to laugh, Usagi opened her mouth to speak when the door to the room she was in opened. She stood straight and looked at the newcomer in shock, and after she scoped the room for a familiar picture of Kana, she realized she was in Hatori's office.

Her fingers immediately reacted, shutting the communicator in her hands and shoving the device in her pocket. Nervously, she chuckled, and said, "Hello Hari-san."

"Ame, what a surprise." Usagi bit down on her lip to keep from correcting Hatori's mistake with her name, and simply watched as he sat a stack of papers on his desk and looked over at her. "What brings you to my office?"

"I got lost. It's been a while, you know." She lied quickly, pushing her silver bangs from her eyes. Before she could catch herself, she added bitterly, "I came to speak to Akito, but as usual, no one wants that to happen."

Usagi could feel her face heat up, like someone had turned on a stove burner, as Hatori raised his eyebrows at her. Sifting through his paperwork, he said, "Shigure is trying to protect you, you know that."

"Yeah, I do, but I want to see Yuki that badly." The blue-eyed girl wanted to shove her fist in her mouth, shrinking under another of the dragon's sharp gazes. Quickly, she bit out, "You know, I haven't been home all day, Okaasan is probably worried. Bye, Hari-san."

"You're probably right," he nodded, turning back to his desk as Usagi bolted from the room. Running blindly, it was inevitable she would run into someone, and conveniently enough it turned out to be Shigure.

"Ah, Gure-chan, what did Akito say?" She asked breathlessly, ignoring the questioning expression she received from the dog.

"He said he'd meet with you next weekend. Ame-chan, are you sure you want to--?"

"I'm completely sure. Thank you, Shigure." Usagi gave him a tight hug, before continuing, "I need to get home, Okaasan will kill me. Good-bye!" And with that, whirlwind Usagi was gone from the Sohma house.

* * *

The silver-haired girl paused at her mailbox, seeing the day's mail had already arrived. Flipping it open, she tugged out the monthly assortment of bills and whatnot for her parents. Reaching her hand to the back just in case, her brow furrowed when they met a bulky package. She bent to look in, wondering if the mailman had stuffed a package in there. 

She tugged for several minutes before the item broke free, and held it in her hands. The small, brown box was addressed to one Usagi Tsukino, and she turned it over in her hands for a return address, but there was none. Perplexed, she tucked it under her arm and went inside, to find her Okaasan missing. Hoping the blue-haired woman wasn't out looking for her, she dropped the mail on the kitchen counter and ascended the stairs to her bedroom.

As the blue-eyed girl dropped down to her bed, her stomach twisted with apprehension. The small package rested in her lap innocently, but she could almost feel the ominous waves coming off the brown box. Taking in a breath she tore the paper away, and dumped the contents back in her lap. It was a large stack of letters, tied together with a string of twine.

Her eyes brushed across the scrawl on the envelopes, and recognized her own handwriting. Slowly, she untied the twine and picked up the top letter, instantlyidentifying it as one of the many letters she'd written to Mamoru in America. Her heart was thumping hard against her chest, and she swallowed, trying to calm it.

A single piece of notebook paper fluttered from the bottom of the letters, landing softly on her carpeted bedroom floor. She bent, picked it up, and unfolded it silently. The Japanese writing was brash, it looked like it had been copied from a language dictionary word for word, but it didn't take much for Usagi to distinguish what it said.

_Dear Miss Usagi,_

_I apologize beforehand for being too cowardly to phone you, even though I found your number with your mailing address in Mamoru's things. As far as I know, you're the closest thing to family that he had, he talked about you several times while I knew him. I felt obligated to contact you, and let you know what happened._

_A little less than two weeks after Mamoru arrived at Harvard, he went out late at night to pick up some groceries. On the way home, a car full of drunken college kids ran a stop sign and hit him. They plowed into the driver's side door, and Mamoru was killed instantly._

_Since Mamoru's parents are dead, and he has no other living relatives, there was a small service held for him at the school. Enclosed are the letters I received at his dorm after he died and two that were opened. Also, there's a partially-completed reply in the unmarked envelope. I'm sorry for your loss._

_Edward Smith_

Usagi's fingers slackened from the paper, and it fluttered once more to the floor. She sat, immobile, for a few moments, before gently pushing another of her own letters from her lap. She pushed one letter after another, until she reached the bottom of the stack, to the blank envelope. Shakily, she pulled the paper from its sheath and unfurled it.

_Usako,_

_I'm glad to hear your grades are finally improving, I knew you had it in you. I'll be coming back for a week near Christmas, since it's the first time I'll be free of classes. I'd like to take you out to dinner then, and hear about everything that's been going on. Being away from you_

And it ended, just like that. A tremor ran through her fingers as the paper slipped from them, without really knowing what she was doing she stood. Her legs moved forward beneath her, she sprinted from her room, down the stairs, and out of her front door. With no idea where she was going, she ran.

* * *

Yuki hastily wiped at his eyes, rearranging everything on Shigure's desk to look like he hadn't been there. He slipped from the office and back up the stairs just as the sounds of Tohru and Kyou arriving home reached his sensitive ears. Entering his room, he closed the door softly and fell onto his mattress. 

As his violet eyes outlined the ceiling, he realized what he had to do next. He had to find that girl, the one who called him Oniisan. Unsure of whether he would find her, what he would say, when he would find her, he at least knew where to start. The Cherry Hill Temple.

He planned to wait a few days, whether out of apprehension or for good measure, he wasn't sure. The day came, and Yuki rose from bed early to get ready for school. He'd visit after school, as the miko there promised it would be open, but for now he needed breakfast. Though considerably more awake than most mornings, he was still dragging.

Whatever made him stop in front of Shigure's study that morning, he probably would never know for sure. The voice on the television set reached him, and he turned his head to look in the partially open door at the newscast taking place.

"--sixteen-year-old Usagi Tsukino has been missing from her home for three days. Not much information has been released to the press, but according to the police the girl left the house mid-morning, returned sometime while her mother was out shopping with their younger son, and then left once more. She hasn't been seen since."

Yuki slid the door open all the way, but Shigure didn't turn around to see who was there. The both of them were staring at the image on the screen, of a smiling blonde girl with two round buns on either side of her head.

"They'll never find her like that." The dog muttered to himself, turning back towards his desk, where he acknowledged Yuki's presence for the first time, "Yuki, what brings you here?"

"Shigure! She's missing!" Yuki stepped aside instinctively as Ayame burst in the room. Shigure looked up at the snake, surprised, before turning off his television.

"Aya, I'm impressed, I didn't expect you for another," he paused, glancing at his clock, "two minutes."

"Well, you see, I was out shopping and--"

"She's my sister, isn't she?" Yuki asked finally, breaking off Ayame's sentence and earning wide-eyed looks from the both of them. "That girl they just showed on the news, she's really Ame, my sister."

There was silence; insane considering Ayame was standing beside Yuki, before a weird sort of smile appeared on Shigure's face. "Yes, that girl is really Ame."

"Yuki, Yuki! She's not _your_ sister she's _our_ sister! We must find her!" Before Ayame could pull Yuki away with him, the rat dodged out of the snake's grasp and sent a pointed glance at Shigure.

"I want to know why we were separated, then. I found her journal and her letters. Why did Akito do it?" The younger boy demanded, watching Ayame's changing expression with interest. Shigure pulled his attention back to himself.

"I'd tell you, but I don't really know myself. I know that Akito was jealous of the relationship you had with Ame. He also felt strongly that Ame didn't belong in the zodiac." The dog explained, looking pensive.

"Why?" Yuki questioned.

"Breakfast is ready, Shigure. Oh, Ayame! I didn't know you were here!" Tohru exclaimed from the doorway, Shigure's breakfast tray in her hands.

"Tohru! Such a beautiful flower, does Shigure dare treat you as slave labor?" The snake exclaimed, pointing at the tray in her hands dramatically.

"You say that, but don't offer to take it for her." Yuki bit off, accepting the tray from her and placing it on Shigure's desk. Tohru looked around, flustered.

"Would you like breakfast, Ayame?" The brunette asked meekly. Yuki glared at his older brother, before shooing Tohru off with a simple 'he'll be fine.' He turned back to the two older juunishi with a determined look.

"I want to know more about Ame."

* * *

-bows in apology- I'm so, so sorry it took me so long to get this out! The last week has been really busy, getting ready for school and all. Monday I start back, and that means less time to work on stories. -sobs- I like to kill Mamoru with cars, I guess, this is the second time. 

There was really a lot of reviews last chapter, and it made me _really_ happy! Review everyone! Next chapter we shall discover more about Usagi's past as Ame, and maybe even her zodiac animal! -skips away to work on Oh Brawling Love-

♥SachiNyoko♥


	7. Chapter 7

Usagi leaned forward, pressing all her weight against the wooden entrance in front of her. Her chest rose heavily, up, down, up, down. Whether she'd been gone for weeks, months, years, she didn't know. After she left her house, she ran until her legs wouldn't carry her any farther, and she collapsed in the city's park. When she woke, she ran again, whatever direction her feet turned.

It went on, now she knew where she was, but she couldn't move much anymore. Noises filtered through the door, all indistinguishable and alien, until one voice grew louder than the rest. Rain fell hard through her now dingy gray hair; vaguely she knew it chilled her to the bone, and that it mingled with her sporadic tears. The door opened inward, Usagi fell limply forward, into someone.

That someone turned out to be Kyou Sohma, and he reflexively supported the unknown girl's weight, bracing himself for a transformation. For a moment, there was nothing, until finally a burst of smoke surrounded them. When it settled, Kyou looked down at his still human body and wondered if he was maybe dreaming.

Then he looked down further and saw the bundle of sopping wet clothing. Out of the pile poked a small, white animal of equal wetness, shivering despite itself. Kyou paused, perplexed, because the person who fell through the door was certainly female and he was quite sure they had grayish hair over blonde. Still, the two floppy ears and soggy cotton tail were unmistakable.

"Stupid cat, you've completely soaked the carpet--" Yuki paused, noting the tenseness of his rival with some confusion. The ever-observant rat almost immediately located the same thing that had Kyou so stumped. "Momiji?"

"No, it's not, it was definitely a girl." Kyou interrupted, surprised he could even find the words. At this, Yuki appeared to go into similar shock, but unlike Kyou he didn't simply stand there. He bent down, collecting the waterlogged animal, which appeared to be unconscious.

"Shigure!" The silver-haired boy called, disappearing into the house. Kyou quickly closed the door, dropping the bag of garbage he'd been taking out, and ran after him. Shigure was just opening his study door when Yuki burst in, sending the dog stumbling backwards in surprise. Kyou appeared in the doorway as well, and Tohru emerged from the kitchen, wondering what the source of the commotion was.

"It's her. It's Ame." Shigure looked down at the sodden rabbit in Yuki's arms, and it didn't take him long to connect the dots.

"Get some towels, dry her off, and try to keep her warm. I'll get in touch with Hatori." He instructed, turning back towards his desk. Before Yuki could bolt upstairs, Tohru stopped him.

"There are warm towels in the dryer that I haven't folded yet," she said, pointing towards the laundry room. Yuki nodded, changing direction towards the utility room. He opened the dryer, finding warm towels indeed resting there. Her wrapped the sickly limp rabbit in one, and grabbed several more towels before he left the room. Shigure motioned him upstairs, and towards the last remaining guest room.

Yuki sat on the bed, unfurling the now soggy towel from the animal in his lap, and setting to work on drying his younger sister. Shigure looked on wordlessly, and when the rat finished he said, "Hatori is on his way. He said Momiji and Hatsuharu may be accompanying, if he can't shake them."

Nodding slowly, Yuki laid the rabbit on the bed, his violet eyes never wavering from the still form. After a while of silence, he finally asked, "What happened to her?"

"I've no idea," the dog responded. The house was unusually quiet, until Shigure turned his head towards the door of the room. Silence met him for a moment, before the door banged open, and the two in the room looked up at the panting Hatsuharu. If he'd been Black before, he calmed in the somber mood of the room, his eyes fixing on the rabbit. Apparently the rain was still falling outside; Haru's black and white hair was sticking against his forehead. He stood straight, just as Momiji appeared beside him in an equally sopping state.

"Hey, you guys can't just barge in here like that!" Kyou shouted, appearing in the doorway after Hatsuharu and Momiji had stepped forward. The orange-haired boy held his tongue as the atmosphere of the room hit him full force. His red eyes glanced over the animal on the bed, and then Momiji, before he grumbled and descended the stairs once more.

Finally, Hatori joined the silent group, completely dry and actually the only one who'd employed an umbrella against the torrents of rain outside. His one clearly visible eye swept over the rabbit as he walked to the bed, but the frown on his lips said enough. "You know I can't do anything while she's like this. We'll have to wait until she's back to her human state again."

Another silence trailed, and Hatori turned towards the door. Slowly, most of the group followed him down the stairs, to the kitchen where Tohru was diligently preparing more dinner for their guests. Only Shigure and Yuki remained in the room once again, and the dog spoke first, "Go eat dinner, I'll watch over her for now."

The silver haired boy wanted to protest, but he knew Shigure was doing him a favor, and that he was just as worried about the unconscious girl. So he joined the troupe downstairs, sitting round the dining table. Hatori sipped lightly at a cup of coffee, Hatsuharu was drying his hair with a towel, and even Momiji was uncharacteristically quiet. Tohru served them dinner, looking terribly curious, but respectfully keeping all questions to herself.

They ate, and made forced conversation that would appear natural to any observer. As Tohru cleared the table of dirty dishes, Momiji offered to help her clean up, and the two started washing the dishes. When they returned, the claimed their previous seats and everyone waited. Though they weren't sure why they waited, the answer came as Hatori lowered his now empty coffee cup to speak.

"I suppose some of you would like to be filled in." Collective nods around the table, so Hatori continued, "The girl upstairs is a member of the Sohma family, and part of the curse if you haven't yet guessed. Her name is Ame Sohma, though she goes by Usagi now so I hear." The dragon stopped, pausing for a moment.

"She's my sister," Yuki offered, drawing the attentions of the group to him, "She's the same age as Haru and Momiji."

"How...how is she cursed by the rabbit? Momiji's the rabbit, so, I don't understand." Tohru offered timidly.

"We're actually not too sure about that ourselves. All we know is that Momiji and Ame were born at the same time. There's no other history of two people being born under the same curse at once." Hatori responded.

"Well, then how come I've never heard of her?" Kyou cut in.

"You simply never met. Ame lived in the main house until she was about eight years old. Akito never spoke of her; he believed that she didn't belong in the zodiac rightfully, that Momiji was the true rabbit. After that, he had me erase hers and Yuki's memories and Ame was transferred out of the Sohma household. She's been living with a normal family the past years." They shared surprised looks, and gazed over at the dragon skeptically.

"I though she was living with another Sohma family outside the main house. What about her curse?" Hatsuharu asked next.

"Only Akito could answer that, I have no idea. I just know that Ame regained her memories recently, and I don't know how she managed to do that." Hatori answered. They pondered this for a moment, except Yuki, who'd heard it from Shigure and Ayame already. He had his own question.

"Do you know what happened? Why did she run away?" The silver haired boy inquired. Hatori stared at the bottom of his coffee cup, and then he looked straight at Yuki to answer him.

"Akito's been in contact with the detectives on the case. In her room, they found letters she'd written to a guy in America. Apparently they were engaged, and he died in a car accident. She's distraught."

"What do you think Akito will do about Usagi-chan?" Momiji piped up, the first thing he'd said in a while. Though they all waited for Hatori to answer, he didn't speak, for he didn't seem to know how to answer the question.

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes slowly, the sensation felt out of place. As much as she wanted to meet gazes with a pair of violet eyes, the only person she could see around her was a disgruntled boy with orange hair. He pored over school books, muttering to himself gently, though he didn't actually seem to be too bitter at her bedside. The odd proportion of things she was seeing finally clicked; she was a rabbit. 

How long had it been? When was the last time she'd transformed? She couldn't find the strength to move very much, but her nose twitched, and the boy looked over at her sharply. Bitterly, he muttered, "Of course you wake up once that damn rat leaves."

Usagi lifted her ears a little; so Yuki had been watching over her? Was it possible that, maybe, he remembered her? Summoning her strength, she moved a little around the bed, under watchful red eyes. He had to be the cat, but, why were they both staying at Shigure's house? Quite suddenly, a cloud of smoke engulfed her and she sat on the bed, blinking slowly, and automatically wrapping the blanket on the bed around herself.

By the time the smoke was completely gone, Kyou hadn't had any time to see anything, for which he was grateful. The silver-haired girl stared bleakly at him, her eyes cloudy and distant, red around the edges. She even looked feverish, and he wasn't a doctor. He dropped his pencil and stood, muttering, "Wait here, I'll get Tohru or Shigure or someone."

Before the cat even took a step, Usagi's hand shot out and grabbed his, and she gave him a pleading look. He tried to pull away, but the girl let out a low whimper, whispering, "Please don't leave."

Tohru chose that moment to enter, a tray in tow, and she let out a surprised squeal when she seen the silver-haired girl. Kyou sent her an annoyed glance, before he said, "Go tell Shigure to call Hatori, and get her some clothes too."

"Oh, yeah," Tohru turned and exited the room swiftly, not even bothering to leave the tray. Kyou looked down at his own hand uncertainly, while Usagi pulled it closer, placing the back of his palm against her cheek. Even when Tohru returned with her clothes for her, she wouldn't allow him to leave the room, so he had to turn the other way while she dressed. Afterwards, she grabbed onto the cat's hand once more and held onto him.

Shigure came in, looking somber over his normal cheerful self. He looked Usagi over; she only sniffled at him, and didn't offer a hello. "Hatori is on his way. Don't wake Yuki just yet; he'll be sick if he doesn't get enough rest. It's bad enough he stayed up all night."

"Are you saying I have to stay with her?" Kyou asked indignantly, give the dog a dirty look. Shigure shot him something that resembled a glare.

"You don't have to, certainly, Kyou. If you'd rather leave her alone then by all means," the angry tone surprised Kyou, more than he would admit or even show. Grumbling, he sat down on the bed, next to the silver haired girl. Her blue eyes were trained on the floor, but both her hands stayed twisted around Kyou's hand, holding on for dear life. Shigure sent a few worried glances towards the girl before finally departing, along with Tohru.

When Hatori arrived, he once again had Hatsuharu and Momiji in tow, looking more anxious than before. He made them wait outside the door, but allowed Kyou to stay when Usagi became upset over him. The cat watched dully as Hatori performed his check-up.

"She has a nasty cold, that's about it. Her mental state is the real worry." Hatori said finally, adding on, "I'm sure Shigure had some cold medicine around here somewhere."

As the dragon stepped out, Hatsuharu and Momiji burst in, and Usagi moved her eyes upwards to look at them. Hatsuharu walked to her, not hesitating, and she found her voice to speak to him, "Haru-chan?"

As the white haired boy sat beside her, Usagi finally let go of Kyou and allowed the ox to pull her into a hug. The cat stood, and reverently left the three of them alone. Momiji took Kyou's spot next to the blue eyed girl and held her free hand in his own.

"Usagi-chan," the blonde boy whispered, a frown across his face. She didn't answer, her voice rose in small sobs instead. Momiji and Hatsuharu shared a glance, but neither of them knew what to say to the grieving girl.

"I didn't...I didn't even get to say goodbye. I hadn't seen him for months, and then one day he's gone. How can that happen? How is it fair?" Her voice wasn't angry, or bitter. The tone radiated sadness, and regret. "I should've asked him to stay. I would've, but I knew how much it meant to him, being a doctor."

Though Hatsuharu and Momiji didn't say anything in response, she knew they sympathized with her. Haru's arms stayed tightly around her shoulders, and Momiji never released her hand from his. If the old saying of actions speaking louder than words ever applied, it was now among the three juunishi.

Finally, Usagi pulled away wiping at her eyes. They remained slightly swollen, and red, but the smallest of smiles was lighting her face as she pulled both of them into a hug, "Thanks you two."

The hint of the sparkle in her dark blue eyes came back, and though she still mourned her loss, though she hadn't let Mamoru fade from her thoughts just yet, she had enough strength to keep living. A 'you're welcome' was unnecessary from the two, but Momiji chuckled softly and said, "Usagi-chan, your nose is running."

"Oh gosh," The silver haired girl looked mildly embarrassed. She tried wiping some of the excess on the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing, but quickly departed for the bathroom to fetch some tissue paper. She checked a few empty bedrooms before finding the restroom at the end of the hall. When she opened the door, she realized it was already occupied.

A pair of surprised violet eyes jumped up to look at her; apparently Yuki had been bent over the bathroom sink, for reasons unknown, but she was at least grateful she hadn't walked in on anything embarrassing. Her relief turned to horror, quickly, as the rat grabbed his head in pain. He might've bashed his head against the porcelain sink if Usagi hadn't reached out and slowed his fall.

They both sunk to the tiled floor of the bathroom, a groan escaping Yuki's lips that she could only assume consequenced his pain. "Yuki, what's wrong?"

"Ah," The silver haired boy finally gasped, panting lightly. Usagi assumed the sudden migraine, or whatever it had been, had subsided. Gently placing her palm against his forehead, she checked for a fever, but jumped when he grabbed her around the wrist. She met gazes with him, his intense violet eyes boring into her deep blue.

"Yuki--"

"I remember," was all he said, and without being entirely sure if it was from shock or high fever, the rabbit fainted.

* * *

"Don't you two think it was a little unwise to let her go wandering off when she has a fever?" Hatori asked dryly, sending aggravated glances at Hatsuharu and Momiji, who both looked rather guilty. The doctor wet a rag with cool water, ringing it out and placing it on Usagi's forehead before he read the thermometer he'd removed from her mouth. 

"She was just going to blow her nose, we thought she'd be right back," Momiji said in their defense, watching Hatori with worry..

"One hundred and two," The dragon announced. Yuki stood to the side, contemplating the situation. He'd yet to inform anyone but Usagi that he remembered the little girl he'd grown up with. Of course, back then the roles would've been reversed, and he would be the one bedridden under Hatori's scornful eye. Placidly, he opened his closed fist to look at the silver snowflake rested on his palm.

The piece of jewelry had been found among his sister's clothes, and Tohru had given it to him when she'd been about to wash the damp garments. He recalled now, very clearly, the occasion when he'd bought the gift. It had been the only time, back then, he'd gone somewhere outside the main house with Ayame exclusively.

The snake had, of course, been reluctant to go, but when he explained the details, that he really wanted to surprise Ame, Ayame had gone along with it. Yuki didn't know when he'd first spotted the necklace in the store, but he knew that Ame would love it to death, and he never did anything special for his imouto. Considering all she did for him, the goofy things she did to make him happy, he wanted nothing more than to give her something she really deserved for Christmas.

Even through all the years, with or without memory of him, she'd kept it, something that tied them together, always. His mind drifted to the night following the gift, and what she'd said to him.

"_Yuki! Yuki, wait up!" The young rat turned, just in time to see his imouto pounce on his back, sending them both to the ground in a messy heap. She giggled, rolling off of him and offering a helping hand. They stood in silence, on the deck away from the party inside, before Ame spoke again, very softly, "I wanted to thank you, again, for your present. It's the best present ever."_

"_I'm really glad you like it," Yuki answered timidly, earning a grin from the blue eyed girl. She looked out across the yard of the main house, just as the snow started to fall gently from the sky._

"_You know what snow is, Oniisan?" Her voice rang out, full of something that resembled melancholy. It was rare to see the hyper rabbit in such a serious mood, so Yuki gave his full attentions._

"_Frozen rain?" He guessed, sheepishly, but Ame offered a sad smile as she nodded. The snowflake pendant around her neck glinted, lights from inside the house reflecting off it._

"_Right. Your name means snow, and mine means rain. Snow is rain, before it hits the cold air and freezes into snowflakes. Know what that means?" She turned to him again, awaiting an answer. Yuki thought, and when he realized he didn't know, he shook his head, tousling his silver tendrils of hair. _

"_It means you and I are the same. Ame and Yuki, rain and snow. No matter how different we seem, we'll always be connected, because inside we're really the same. You see what I mean? We'll always be together, whether it rains, or whether it snows. I'll always be with you, no matter what."_

"_Ame?" Yuki tilted his head. Ame had turned her face the other way and hearing such cryptic things from her really worried him. "Ame, are you leaving?"_

"_Never," The silver haired girl turned and threw her arms around his neck. "Don't you see? I'm always with you, I'll never leave. I want you to understand that."_

Back then, the weird speech hadn't made much sense, but now...his sister must have known then about having to leave the Sohmas. She must have known, long before he did, that they were going to be separated. How hard had it been for her, to stand there and tell him they'd always be together, when she knew they would be torn apart?

Meanwhile, in Usagi's dreams, she was remembering things as well.

_Ame giggled brightly, chasing Hatsuharu down the halls of the main Sohma building. When they turned another corner, both children paused, collapsing to their knees and panting for breath, before Ame said, "I give in, Haru-chan, you're way too fast."_

"_Well of course I'm faster than you," Hatsuharu smirked, earning a slap in the back of the head from his silver haired companion. Her blue eyes twinkled with merriment as she laughed with him, but quite suddenly, both children became silent. Loud voices were channeling from the door beside them, so they listened in._

"_I won't have it! Do you dare betray me, Shigure? All for that girl, over that stupid little girl!" The voice rang out clearly, being raised way above the normal tone. It was Akito, the young head of the Sohma family, and apparently accompanied by the dog, Shigure._

"_Akito, I'm not betraying you, but you know full well my stand on Ame." Shigure replied calmly, sounding incredibly poised under the accusations at hand. The strange noise that followed sounded like an all out growl, possibly to convey frustration._

"_Yes, of course, every one simply adores that bastard child. She doesn't belong in this family! She's an outcast, a disgrace to everything this family is! There is not to be two rabbits in the zodiac! Yuki's bitch of a mother was not supposed to have another child!" Akito was full out ranting, fuming; his anger could be felt even through the wall that separated the children from him._

"_She's only a child! She didn't ask to be born, Akito! What you're doing is completely ludicrous. Do you really think kicking a member of the juunishi out is going to work? You're juvenile jealousy shouldn't be taken out on Ame!" There was a harsh snap, as though Akito had struck Shigure. He wouldn't do that, would he?_

"_Do not speak against me. I allow you your freedom because of your loyalty but if you cannot subdue yourself you know the consequences. If all goes as planned, Ame will be free of the curse. She can have a normal life, away from the Sohmas. Don't you want her to have that?" Akito's voice sounded sugary sweet, but he was only mocking Shigure._

"_That's not what she wants. You know it's not what she wants. Do as you must, Akito, and I will fully support it. This is going to come back to you, though. Separating Yuki and Ame will come back to haunt you." Hatsuharu jumped up, grabbing onto Ame's hand and pulling her with him. He ran until the both of them were out in the yard, before he turned._

"_You know it isn't true, Ame. You do belong here, you're a great juunishi, and everyone loves you. You know none of those mean things are true!" Hatsuharu scanned the young girl's face. It was blank, dazed, as if she wasn't sure what she'd just heard at all. When she caught the ox's anxious expression, she smiled shakily._

"_Akito is just upset, that's all. I know he didn't really mean those things, he's just upset." As soon as she said it, her voice broke down into heartfelt sobs, and Hatsuharu pulled her into a hug, where she cried on his shoulder. "What will I do without Oniisan, Haru-chan? I can't live with out him. I can't leave him by himself."_

"_Hey now, Yuki won't ever be without you, okay? You guys are always together, because you're in each other's hearts. You'll always be connected." The white haired boy said soothingly. Ame sniffled, wiping her tears from her face._

"_I guess you're right." She said finally, smiling._

Usagi hovered above the scene, like she was watching it outside herself, and continued to ponder it. A small smile graced her lips as she realized how much Hatsuharu had been there for her. Even now, when she needed him the most, he showed up to comfort her.

Moving back to her memories, she frowned. Whenever she tried to recall how her curse had been suppressed, her mind drew a blank. Either parts of her memory had yet to resurface, or the memory had been completely obliterated. But, was that possible? Did Hatori hold that kind of power? She felt like she was forgetting something, or more specifically, _someone_. The frozen scene below her disappeared, quickly replaced by an image of her child self and Shigure.

_Ame placed her small hand against Shigure's bruised cheek, her eyes welling with tears. Angrily, she asked him, "Why did you talk back, Gure-chan? It was stupid, why did you do it?"_

"_Not even Akito deserves the right to say things about you like that. They're untrue, you know that. Right?" The dog pressed. The young girl nodded her silver hair bouncing as she did. _

"_I do know it, and you know it, so why does it matter when Akito says different? Isn't it enough that we know it?" She protested, earning a laugh from Shigure._

"_Since when did you get so knowledgeable? Has our little Ame grown up?" He teased, making the little girl's cheeks redden. Instead of giving her usual offended retort, her eyes grew solemn._

"_I'm really going to be kicked out of the family, aren't I? I won't ever see you, or Ayame-san, or Haru-chan, or Miji-chan, or--" her voice wavered, but she swallowed, and continued, "or Oniisan again. What did I do, Gure-chan? Did I make Akito-sama angry with me?"_

"_You didn't do anything wrong, Ame-chan, don't think that."_

Suddenly, Usagi woke from her memory, her head pounding. How long she'd been out, she didn't know, but when she looked to her left she didn't see the irritated boy that'd been there before. It was Yuki, sitting in a chair at her bedside, but he'd long since dosed off. His head was resting against his arms, lying on the bed next to her, and a small smile touched her face at the sight.

Slowly, and as quietly as she could manage, she slipped from the bed. Scurrying across the bedroom, she slipped out into the silent hallway. As she descended the stairs, she heard the sounds of someone moving below, and instantly figured it had to be Shigure. Her instincts proved correct, as she peeked into the single lighted room that turned out to be his study.

"Gure-chan?" The dog looked up from his papers; apparently he was working on something to do with his writing. He offered a smile and gestured for her to come in. "I was just wondering if I could take a shower."

"Of course. You're wearing Tohru's clothes, but I believe she washed yours. They're in the utility room on the dryer." Usagi thanked him, withdrawing from the room and pulling the door shut behind her. It didn't take her long to locate the room, and her clothes, so she walked back up to the second floor and to the bathroom. After she felt legitimately clean, she knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon, so she walked back downstairs.

"Gure-chan, I'm going to go outside. I promise not to leave the yard." Shigure nodded his concurrence, eyes barely glancing up at the rabbit as he continued to write. Usagi slowly closed the door, and turned away. Before she made it to the door, she spotted a familiar mop of white hair, complimented by black roots. Peeking over the back of the couch, she smiled down at the snoozing form of Hatsuharu.

'_He must have really been worried to stay the night on Gure-chan's couch,_' She mused brushing some of his wild locks from his face. The ox barely stirred, and Usagi turned away towards the front door. She slipped out quietly, and breathed the early morning air deeply into her lungs.

Walking aimlessly around the property, it didn't take her long to find the ladder that led up to the rooftop. As soon as she settled in, and looked out across the trees that surrounded Shigure's house, her breath caught in her throat.

The sun was just peeking through the branches, bright, but not too intense you had to look away. The early birds chirped merrily as they flew from branch to branch, searching the ground below them with a sharp eye, hoping to catch a few worms for themselves or their babies tucked away safely in their nests. The grass below her twinkled, rays of sunlight bouncing off the morning dews still collected there.

Immediately she felt a fondness for the perch on the roof, and the view it held. Pulling her knees into her chest, she rested her chin on them and watched the sun slowly rise, until she had to squint to continue looking. After a while, she decided she should probably go inside, but before she could she heard someone stomping up the wooden ladder. Her eyes caught gazes with a set of fiery red, and his face flushed red accordingly.

"What are _you_ doing up here?" The orange haired boy snapped, almost sneering at her as he did so. Usagi winced under his harsh tone, offering a small smile in attempt to ease his anger.

"Um...sorry, I didn't know this was your spot. I was going inside anyway." The silver haired girl untangled her limbs and crawled over towards the ladder. Before she made it all the way, her hand slipped over a loose shingle, and she went tumbling down the roof with naught but a small 'eep.' Fortunately, Kyou's very cat-like **1** reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed on to her arm.

Pulling her back up beside him, he clicked his tongue scornfully, before commenting, "Not very graceful, are you?"

With her face redder than his eyes, she shook her head lamely. "I never said I was. Say, I don't really know your name."

"Kyou," he replied, not looking at her. Usagi took it as an invitation to stay, and settled into her previous curled up position at his side. Questions buzzed around her head, but she held them at bay for several moments, and resolved not to ask any at first.

"I can see why you like it up here. It's very pretty." She offered, her eyes focused through the trees. Kyou spared a glance at her, his eyebrow arched. She turned towards him, and caught him in a smile. "I wanted to thank you, for staying with me yesterday."

"You're welcome," the cat muttered, turning away from her smile with a frown.

"I'd like to ask, if you don't mind answering...aren't you the cat of the zodiac?" At his brisk nod, she continued delicately, "Then why...why are you and Yuki staying here together at Gure-chan's house?"

"Akito," was his curt reply, and Usagi pursed her lips together. She knew that none of the Juunishi were keen on discussing the head of the Sohma family, and for the cat, that desire must have been increased tenfold. "You should go inside, that stupid rat will be looking for you."

Usagi took the hint, carefully climbing over to the ladder and descending slowly, so her bare feet wouldn't slip on the smooth wood.

* * *

**1** Forgive the lame pun on Kyou and his "cat-like" reflexes. -sweatdrop- 

Well, well look at me, I wrote a nice long chapter. :) This is the longest chapter I've written for anything singe Time was finished. So...review! I'm a review monger, I know, I know. You guys deserved a long chapter for the time I took to come out with this.

Ha ha! You guys are the best. Review more? ♥

-SachiNyoko-


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as she entered the house, to her great surprise, a pair of arms engulfed her in a tight hug. She stared into the familiar crown of silver hair, and gently smiled.

"Ame-chan!"

"My name is Usagi now, hasn't Gure-chan told you? Ayame-san, how are you?" Usagi pulled from her older brother's hug, leading him towards the kitchen where she could smell something cooking. The frown on Ayame's lips didn't get past her.

"Ayame-san, still? Well, Usa-chan, I'm perfectly fine. It's you I'm worried about! All this missing extravaganza and then you show up, sick with misery and a bad cold as Hatori told me." Usagi took a seat next to Shigure at the dining table, quickly accompanied by Ayame, a small frown on her lips.

"I hardly think extravaganza is the word, Aya, but I'm feeling much better." She replied, and the snake looked pleased with the nickname. Before he could retort, the petite brunette girl Usagi had yet to formally meet appeared next her, holding a tray of food that she set out at the table.

"Breakfast is served," she bowed, smiling brightly. Hatsuharu walked in after this statement, and sat across from Usagi, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The silver haired girl smiled affectionately at Tohru, helping herself to a plate.

"Your name is Tohru Honda-san, right?" Tohru nodded, returning the smile wholeheartedly, "I'm Usagi Sohma, Ayame and Yuki's younger sister, which I guess makes you older than me as well?"

"Um...Yes, one year older," she responded. Usagi opened her mouth to say something further, but was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door. The brunette girl let out a small 'eep' of surprise and left to answer. Picking at her food with disinterest, Usagi listened to the door opening and the muffled voices that followed. After a brief moment, Tohru returned to the table.

"It's someone for you, Usagi-san." Trying not to look completely surprised, Usagi rose from her seat and followed Tohru to the front door. The older girl excused herself as soon as they reached the entrance hall, and turned to go back to the kitchen. Blue eyes full of confusion she peeked around the corner and saw a familiar mane of dark green hair.

"Setsuna-chan! What are you doing here?" The woman in question turned, her garnet eyes crinkling with a small smile. As she returned Usagi's enthusiastic hug, her smile slowly faded away, however, and the shorter girl didn't miss it as she broke the hug. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, Usagi, I know the past week has been hard on you, but I'm afraid I have some bad news." Setsuna noticed as she said this, the girl in front of her went a few shades paler, but she smiled a strained smile and pulled her just outside the door, closing it behind her. They stood on the doorstep in silence for a few moments, looking out into the woods that surrounded Shigure's house, before Usagi finally spoke.

"Ne, Setsuna, you can tell me. It's okay." The dark haired woman bowed her head slightly, almost entertaining the urge to chuckle at how well Usagi could read someone. Relaxing her nerves, she took a deep breath and chose her words very carefully.

"After the newscast came that you were missing, Akito ordered the memories of your family and friends to be erased of you completely. Not only have the Tsukinos forgotten you, but all the inner guardians have as well. You won't be able to return home now. You'll have to live at the Sohma house or here at Shigure's if Akito will allow it." The whole time she spoke, Setsuna kept her eyes turned away from Usagi, off in the other direction.

The silver haired girl didn't speak; her first inclination was to ask how Setsuna even knew Akito, but that was quickly set aside. Every muscle in her body tensed with anger, as she said, "That's not right. I'm supposed to talk with Akito this weekend. He agreed to speak with me this weekend about my parents!"

"I'm sorry, Usagi-hime." Setsuna bowed her head, as Usagi shook hers.

"It isn't your fault, don't apologize. You'll understand I'd like to be alone." Garnet eyes flickered up towards the young girl's face, but she'd already turned her head away. The soldier of Pluto nodded to her Princess' request and left to the Time Gates. Usagi paused a few moments, before directing her gaze to the side of the house, "You can come out, I know you're there."

Kyou appeared from around the corner, looking somewhat embarrassed, as Usagi went on, "It's nothing against you, but don't ask questions. Forget what you heard and stay out of it, please." Her silver hair spun with her as she turned, and went back inside the house.

She didn't expect Hatsuharu to be waiting just inside, and he pulled her into a quick hug. "I have to go to school. I'll come by tonight."

"Okay, bye Haru-chan." Avoiding his eyes, she pulled away and stepped around him, heading towards the stairs as opposed to the dining room to finish her breakfast. By now familiar with the rooms, she quickly located her new room, maybe permanently, and closed the door behind her.

Sinking to the floor, she let her tears go until her whole body felt drained of emotion.

**xXx**

For the rest of the week, Usagi withdrew herself in her room, sending several of the Sohmas into another round of worrying. Yuki was rarely seen as well, and even skipped out on his after school activities. No one could answer for his whereabouts. Only Hatsuharu and Momiji were spotted going into Usagi's room, and they didn't say anything about it.

So everyone was wondering why Usagi and Yuki hadn't even properly _seen_ each other yet. They didn't get there answer, but on Saturday Usagi was finally seen entering the main house with Shigure. The two of them stopped outside of Akito's room, and Shigure sent the silver haired girl a concerned look before he entered. Usagi kept her eyes glued to the floor, looking distant and dazed.

Inside, Shigure bowed to Akito, who was sitting against the wall and looking out into the garden, completely disinterested. "Akito-sama, Ame is here to see you."

"So, she still came?" The dark haired man smirked as his eyes flickered over Shigure, whose head was still bowed. "Very well, send her in. Alone."

"Yes, Akito-sama, but there's something you should hear first." Akito looked up, his confusion just barely showing in his expression as the dog pulled out two thin notebooks and flipped the first one open. "Ame wrote these when she was a child, before her memory was erased.

_Dear Book-chan,_

_I hear some people talking about Akito, and a lot of them say mean things. I've only met Akito once, and he wasn't very nice to me, but...I can see he is in a lot of pain. Gure-chan told me that Akito has to deal with a different curse than the zodiac, but he wouldn't tell me about it. It must be very hard, because I know he's sick a lot, even more than Oniisan. I don't think he's the bad person that the others say he is._

_I seen him in the garden the other day, and he was talking to the birds. I think Akito is a very nice person, but I was too shy to talk to him. In a way, he reminds me of Oniisan. I wish Gure-chan would let me talk to him, I think we could be great friends._"

Shigure paused, looking up at Akito, but he was turned away, looking out into the garden again.

"_Dear Book-chan,_

_Akito is really upset with me and I don't know why. I've been trying so hard to be good lately, so that Oniisan will be happy again and Hari won't be mad at me. I asked Gure-chan, and he told me that Akito is jealous of me and Oniisan. I am so confused lately that I think I may be just plain stupid. Why would Akito be jealous of me and Oniisan?_

_I think, because I've never been to play with Akito, he thinks that I don't like him. That's not true at all! I love Oniisan very much, but I love Akito as well. They're both my family, in different ways. I wish I could tell Akito this, but I'm kind of scared. Akito is sick, and I'm afraid that if I'm around him, he'll just get sicker like Oniisan. I don't want to make Akito sicker, or Oniisan, but I don't want to hurt their feelings either. What should I do, Book-chan?_"

Without saying anything, Shigure rose to his feet and stepped out. In mere seconds, Usagi stepped in, and took Shigure spot on her knees to bow to Akito. When she looked up at him, all the anger she felt, everything she wanted to say melted. Because of who she is, she could see past the anger, the bitterness, and the desire to make those around him suffer. She could see the lonely little boy she watched in the gardens as a kid, talking to the birds.

All the evil melted away, and all she could see in his seemingly indifferent eyes was the hurt and pain of a very lonely little boy, with only birds for friends. The speech she'd went over in her head the past week, since Setsuna told her about her loved one's memories being erased, every word fluttered out of her like a bird from a window sill.

"So, little _Rabbit-chan_," the nickname held no affection as it spill from Akito's lips, but the anger or resentment she should of felt wasn't there. She felt only pity for the head of the Sohma clan, as he watched her from the other side of the room. "Come closer, this is the first meeting we've had together, alone. You must be scared without the Dog here to hold your hand."

"I do fear you, Akito." Usagi said softly, as she walked across the room and kneeled right in front of the dark haired man. "Is that what you need to hear, Akito-kun?"

The hand striking her cheek didn't even seem like reality, and she didn't even feel it until a full minute later, when her cheek started to burn. "Don't smart mouth me, you little twit. You don't even belong in this family. You don't even deserve to be here."

Akito's tone rose with every syllable, and the words cut her, but not so deeply as they did when she was a child. Right now, it didn't matter, because she needed to focus on getting Akito to understand that he was loved. "I don't want to smart mouth you, Akito-kun. I know why you treat people the way you do. I understand."

"Shut up!" Usagi had placed a hand on Akito's arm, but he shoved her backwards and sent her tumbling over. "You don't understand me! You could never understand!"

"You make people fear you because you think that's the only way they will stay with you, and obey you. No one wants to be lonely, Akito. But love is stronger than fear, and fear doesn't equal respect," again the hand descended on her, hitting her already swelling cheek, and she whined in pain as Akito's hands found her neck.

"You're such a fool! Did you honestly think you'd come in here and give some heartfelt speech, and then everything would be sunshine and daisies? You're worse than that idiot Tohru Honda. The world's not a fairy tale; things don't just work out the way you want them to!"

Usagi struggled against his grip, the urgency for air starting to kick in. She pulled at his hands, but even in his weaker disposition he was stronger than her. For a moment, she thought she was going to die.

Then suddenly, Shigure was pulling her away, towards the exit of the room. She lifted her head up, barely able to breathe, and said, "I love you, Akito."

Everything stopped for a second or two. Shigure looked shocked beyond words, but Usagi kept her eyes locked with Akito's, where the unmasked confusion and surprise were looking back at her in every feature of his face. Blood was trailing from her lip, where Akito had gotten one last hit before Shigure could get her out of range, but she smiled sincerely at him.

"I love you so much, no matter if you beat me to death or take away everyone I know, because you're my family. I'm so sorry I never told you before, but I love you with all my heart. We can be friends. You can be happy." Shigure dragged her out of the room before she could say anything more, and before she knew it, she was in Hatori's office, being tended to by the stoic doctor.

"You're really crazy, Usa-chan." The dog had adopted a new nickname for her, since she refused to be called Ame. The nickname reminded her of her friends, and her eyes glazed over.

"I meant it, Shigure. I can see how bad he hurts, and it hurts me. I want Akito to be happy." The silver haired girl looked straight at him, with all the sincerity in the world, until Shigure smiled and patted her head.

"I think you should concentrate on _yourself_ first. Plus, you've yet to see Yuki. It's about time, don't you think?"

**xXx**

Dark, crystal blue eyes jumped nervously from the carpet to the wooden door in front of them. Pausing, Usagi finally raised her closed fist and rapped lightly on the entrance to her brother's room. "Oniisan?"

To her surprise, the door sprung open in an instant, as if he'd expected her to be there. She met gazes with him, and instantly regretted not coming to see him sooner. Throwing her arms around his neck, she cried, "I'm so sorry, Oniisan! I'm an idiot for not coming sooner."

They pulled apart, Yuki a little too overwhelmed to say anything just yet. Instead, he stepped to the side, a silent gesture for her to enter the room. He closed the door as she walked across the room, taking inall thefeatures. She couldn't help but note that for a bedroom, it didn't feel much lived in. Turning to face him, she offered a warm smile.

"It's kind of silly, we being forced apart and when we can finally see each other, we don't bother walking down the hall to say hello," she giggled, and to her satisfaction, Yuki did smile a bit. Just a bit. "So, how have you been? I'm glad you finally got away from the main house. You were never happy there."

Nervously, the silver haired girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, waiting to see if Yuki was going to say something. He offered a small nod, but the strained expression he wore told her he didn't know _what _to say. But the strain suggested he did want to talk, and that's something, right?

"Do you still get sick a lot?" Usagi pressed, trying to keep her voice steady. If she went into timid mode, they'd both end up standing there like statues.

"Um...not as much as I used to, no," Yuki replied, glancing up at his younger sister. What exactly were they doing? They used to be so close, but, had the time wore on their relationship? Had it been too long?

"Oh _dear_! You two are up here having a brother sister moment and leave me out of it? Typical, typical," Ayame popped up from behind Yuki, where he'd obviously forced himself in the door, and threw an arm carelessly around Yuki's shoulders. "I am a sibling too you know. You wound me deeply."

"Knock it off, you idiot," Yuki snapped, shrugging off his brother's arm, which Ayame replaced seconds later. The younger sibling couldn't break free of the vice-like grip, so he surrendered, grumbling. The small sniffles from the other side of the room caught their attention, and Ayame had both of them over there in an instant, literally dragging Yuki alongside him.

He gave up being irritated with the overzealous snake and looked down at the shorter girl, "imouto-chan?"

When she looked up, she was smiling despite herself. "Sorry, it's just...when we were little you guys never even spoke. It makes me so happy, seeing the both of you together like this."

"Chibi-chan!" Usagi rolled her eyes at the new nickname. Apparently he'd been dissatisfied with the 'Usa-chan', "Chibi-chan, not both of us, _all_ of us!" And he pulled her to his other side with his free arm, bringing them into a forced sort of group hug. A flash went off, and they blinked around dazed for a moment. It didn't take long to locate Shigure, waving around a one-time-use camera.

"Blackmail," he said in a singsong voice, before dashing from the room. Yuki finally broke free of Ayame, and shouted at the Dog to come back as he ran after him. The snake burst into hearty laughter, sprinting after the two as well.

Usagi shook her head, and for the first time that week, allowed herself a real laugh.

**xXx**

So, _so_ sorry for the temporary hiatus everyone! I was in Miami for a month, and the past week I've been doctor visiting and getting blood tests. I may have to have surgery, but I'm hoping it's not what the doctors think. shudders

I'm studying like mad, even while I write this, so I don't have much time to say anything. Hope the first meet with Akito was to your liking. -readers stare, confused- Yes, there will be more meetings with Akito! Silly gooses! Next chapter...school, perhaps? Throw some senshi in the mix and make some real fireworks. I dunno, you'll have to wait and see!

♥SachiNyoko♥


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Usagi left with Shigure after breakfast to retrieve her transcripts from her old school, and to get transferred into her new one. No one at the table had failed to miss the large bruise along her cheek bone, but no one said anything about it either. She pushed her food around but never took a bite. Ayame departed for his shop, and the rest of them went to school, which left her and Shigure.

"Gure-chan, can I ask you something?" They hadn't said anything to each other the whole time, but if her sudden question startled him, he didn't show it. Barely glancing over at her, he gave a slight nod. Usagi's eyes met the familiar sight of Juuban High School as they rounded the corner, and then they dropped to her hands. "Never mind."

The two of them walked into the Administration office, the silver haired girl hanging back some and letting Shigure absorb the brunt of the attention. He did so quite well, sending the secretaries into a frenzy of whispers and unabashed stares. Usagi rolled her eyes as Shigure grinned over his shoulder, picking the youngest and best looking woman to approach.

Leaving Shigure to his business, she took a seat in one of the waiting chairs and stared out of the windows, blocking out the noise of conversation. She'd nearly dozed off when she spotted the familiar brown ponytail passing by, and the shock jolted her out of her seat. Forgetting where she was, and who she was with, and everything else, she sprinted out the door and shouted, "Makoto!"

She turned, her emerald colored eyes narrowed and scanning the area for the person who'd called her name. Usagi raised her arm to wave, but once the brunette caught sight of her, and the look of confusion passed across her face, she remembered. Makoto had no idea who she was.

"Did you call me?"

"Um, no, I mean yes, I did. It's just..." Makoto was looking down at her, her eyebrow raised in a way that reminded her distinctly of Hatori, and Usagi's face went red. "Well you see, I'm a huge fan of you. I mean, I've seen you fight before and...um, I really admire you. I guess."

"Well, thanks," Makoto smiled awkwardly, before turning and walking off in the direction she'd been heading. The scarlet slowly left her face as she stood there, staring at the spot she disappeared long after the tall girl was gone. She didn't move until Shigure put a hand on her shoulder, and she quietly followed him away from the school.

**xXx**

Usagi slipped the shoes from her feet, and stepped around Shigure without saying anything. They'd registered her in her new school, and she started tomorrow, but it was the least of things on her mind. As she stepped out the back door, Makoto's confused green eyes flashed through her mind for the hundredth time. It only took a moment for her to locate the ladder that lead to the roof, and she climbed it slowly.

None of her friends remembered her at all, and it definitely hurt. She settled on the roof and pulled her knees in close, observing the dull activity of nature in the woods that stretched out around Shigure's home. While she watched, her mind drifted back to the countless battles she'd fought with the senshi, the study buddies after school that she was always late to, the warm way they would all bicker and argue but in the end, never really be upset.

The senshi were not her friends, they were her _sisters_. Ever since they'd come together at the age of fourteen, through the two years the group had stood together in battle, and beyond that in life. They were just as much family as the Tsukinos, or the Sohmas. Another ache hit her heart as she realized, she'd lost the Tsukinos as well.

Usagi didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually Kyou appeared at the top of the ladder with his school bag still in hand, grumbling in a way that said he was currently irritated. He paused briefly, his red hued eyes sweeping over the silver haired girl before he slowly climbed onto the roof and took a seat beside her, a comfortable distance away. The rabbit hastily wiped at her moist cheeks, trying to be discreet to no avail. The past two weeks had been so hard on her that she hadn't even realized she'd started crying.

"It's not good, you know, to dwell on things," Kyou started, somewhat awkwardly. Usagi's head turned sharply, her expression one of surprise. Did Kyou, the cat of the zodiac and her brother's arch enemy, just try to comfort her? Apparently the look on her face frustrated him further, for he reddened a bit and mumbled, "Never mind."

"No, I know what you meant. You're right," she smiled warmly at him, but he didn't turn back to look at her again. A few moments passed in silence before either of them spoke again.

"You should put something on that bruise, it looks pretty bad." Kyou said. Usagi brought her hand up, touching her fingertips lightly against the black and blue spot that took up most of her cheek. She winced, realizing it was still sore. The orange haired youth added sheepishly, "I have some stuff that you could use, if you want. It'll help." **(1)**

"No, that's okay," Usagi replied, shaking her head softly as she dropped her hand to her side again. She looked out over the trees, where the sun hung just above and aggravated her eyes, before she went on, "I'd like to leave it there. It reminds me that I still have a long way to go."

When Usagi went back into the house a little while later, she was surprised to find that Hatsuharu had come home with Yuki, Kyou, and Tohru. Even more surprising, he'd been waiting for her for the past half hour, watching the television lazily while Tohru worked on her homework diligently at the table. The brunette girl lifted her head when she heard Usagi come in and offered a warm smile, which Usagi returned as best she could.

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan, I didn't know you were here," the rabbit apologized. Hatsuharu looked up for the first time, just now noticing her entrance, and stood. As he walked closer, Usagi realized what he was staring so intently at and turned her head to look at the wall. The ox stopped just in front of her, and cupping her chin in his hand, gently turned her head the other way. He ran a gloved finger over the nasty looking bruise while Usagi avoided his eyes. She felt almost guilty, even though it wasn't necessarily her fault. Necessarily.

"I told you not to see him," Hatsuharu said, his tone flat as ever. Usagi looked up, her blue eyes meeting his darker ones, and seen the partially contained anger there. Worriedly, she wondered if he was upset with her or Akito.

"I don't regret it. Not for one minute," Usagi smiled, and hugged Hatsuharu as hard as she could. "But it is nice to know you've worried. Kyou-san said you'd been worried lately, when I was talking with him just now. He failed to mention you were here, though." A small frown graced her features, before she shrugged and pulled away from the taller boy. "Anyway, I start school with you tomorrow. Maybe we'll be in the same class?"

"Come on, you need to eat. You look like a stick," Hatsuharu said in response, turning and pulling her in the direction of Shigure's kitchen. Her face puffed up with annoyance as she tried to pull her arm free. Quickly realizing she couldn't escape his grip, the silver haired girl scowled at his back instead and unwillingly followed. As her mind drifted, she realized she hadn't eaten anything all day and a small smile graced her lips. What would she do without Hatsuharu?

Tohru watched them leave the room, smiling fondly. '_I hope Usagi-san and I can be friends,_' she thought brightly, turning her attention back to her homework.

**xXx**

It didn't occur to her until later that night, when everyone was eating dinner and her along with them, that Akito wasn't finished. She couldn't have been more foolish, really. Once again, as when Setsuna had brought the news of her friends' and family's memories being erased, a knock at the door interrupted their meal and the quiet chatter the surrounded it. Tohru Honda rose to her feet, disappearing from the dining area to answer the door. When she came back, there was a shell shocked expression on her face, and the people at the table looked up at her with concern.

"Usagi-san, it's for you," she declared slowly. Shigure, Yuki, and Kyou all turned to look at her. Hatsuharu had gone home at least an hour ago, but the foreboding in her stomach had her wishing he was still there. She stood, about to walk around the table and out to the entrance hall, when her visitor appeared in the doorway behind Tohru. The rabbit felt time freeze around her for a second, and her stomach dropped to her feet.

"O-Okaasan?" Her voice trembled so terribly that she didn't say anything further. The woman moved around the small brunette in the doorway and walked toward the silver haired girl. Usagi took a reflexive step back, and the woman frowned.

"Ame, Akito told me you were back. I'm surprised I had to hear it from him," the woman stated, turning her cold gaze to Yuki for a moment before fixing it entirely on Usagi. The rabbit's heart wrenched at this; Akito had done this deliberately to hurt her. Her eyes became blurry as she stared into the taller woman's face, a face almost identical to her own. Silver hair fell down her shoulders **(2)** and rested against her stiff business suit. The woman radiated a beauty that was as cold as an Antarctic wind.

"I'm sorry, Okaasan. It's just, a lot of things have been happening and--"

"Things too important to remember your own mother? You're just as selfish and ungrateful as your brothers--"

"Okaasan, please!" Usagi pleaded, cutting her mother off in mid-sentence. Wincing under the icy glare she received in response, she placed an uncertain hand on her shoulder. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Her blue eyes flittered over the dinner table, and paused on Yuki. His hands were shaking.

_Ame peeked around the corner, seeing her mother and her Oniisan at the door. Tears swam in Yuki's eyes as he reached out and grabbed onto her arm, his voice coming out in a low whine, "Mother, I want to go home too! I hate it there! Akito only says scary things! I hate it. I want to go home. Take me with you. Mother...Mother please..." he paused, unable to contain the sob that rose in his throat, "help me!"_

_Their mother turned back to him and smiled softly, stiffly. It was so fake and wretched that Ame couldn't even look at it. With a voice sweet as honey, she bent down and patted Yuki on the head, saying, "Aren't you lucky Yuki? The Head of the family likes you. Keep having him be your friend. See you later." **(3)**_

_The door closed softly behind their mother, and Yuki collapsed to his knees, unable to contain his grief. Ame finally sprung from her hiding place, running to her brother and pulling him into a fierce hug. She was crying too._

"_It's okay, Oniisan. She just doesn't understand." A lie, but she can't admit the truth. Their mother knew what was happening to her child, and she didn't care. She didn't care. "It's okay. I'm here with you, always."_

_Yuki cried himself to sleep in her arms, and she held him until Shigure came along to carry the heartsick boy to a bed._

"Don't ignore me, Ame!" Usagi flinched, jolting out of her reverie and meeting gazes with her mother. "Akito told me he's considering allowing you into the family. Perhaps you'll get the chance that Yuki ruined." Her mother turns her frigid, glaring eyes toward Yuki again, and unable to contain herself, Usagi reeled her hand back and slapped the woman in front of her with all the strength she could muster.

"Don't ever call us selfish again, Okaasan. You're the one who's selfish. You ignored me my whole life and you know you only came here because you knew how bad it would hurt me and Yuki. You only want to acknowledge me now because you think I might be able to give you something _you_ want and you don't care how much it hurts me for you to get it. Just like you ignored Yuki's suffering for your own gain." Usagi was shaking head to toe, but her voice was steady and full of fury. Her mother took another step closer, but this time she stood her ground.

"You have the gall to speak to me that way? If you ever--I swear I'll--" Her mother was stuttering with her own rage, but Usagi had no qualms in interrupting her again.

"Or you'll what? Hit me? Guess what, I already have one bruise so feel free to add another. I'm not a little girl anymore and you can't--you won't--control me." For a split second, her mother looked to consider taking her up on the offer. She didn't raise a hand to strike, so Usagi pointed to the doorway that led to the front entrance. "Get out."

"Ame--"

"Get out!" Her mother fell back, looking murderous, but accepting defeat nonetheless. She turned and left, pushing past Tohru quite rudely, who had been frozen in the doorway the whole time. The sound of a violently slamming door echoed in the tense silence that surrounded them, before Usagi let out a deep breath and said, "I'm going to my room. I've suddenly lost my appetite."

The silver haired girl scurried past Tohru and up the stairs, making a beeline for her bedroom. She fell into her bed and, sitting up on her knees, punched her pillow over and over until she ran out of energy and collapsed into the cushion. Sometime after that, a knock came at the door and Shigure entered quietly. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked over at her. If she wasn't mistaken, he appeared somewhat proud of her.

"Thank you, Gure-chan, for not stepping in back there." The rabbit said, sitting up Indian style and smiling gently at him.

"I knew you needed to do it on your own." Shigure replied, shrugging offhandedly. Usagi sat in silence, thinking for several minutes, before she spoke again.

"I feel sorry for her, Gure-chan. She's so cold and empty. She'll never know what love is, and she'll probably die alone." The blue eyed girl paused, ponderous, before adding, "But I can't help her. That is one person I just can't help." Another pause, "Apparently Akito didn't take to my words as well as I thought he did. I can't believe he sent her, of all people."

"You underestimate Akito's character. He won't change after just a few words." Shigure advised, turning his dark eyes from the window back to her face. Subconsciously she reached up to run her finger along the bruise on her cheek. Then, a smile took over her features as she looked back at him.

"Yeah, but I'm not giving up. Okaasan may be hopeless, but Akito is just confused. I'll make him see." Usagi's smile spread to the older man's face as he stood, brushing off his kimono by force of habit.

"I hope so, Usa-chan. I really do."

**xXx**

Usagi woke the next morning blearily, after everyone else. Just on the edge of late, she decided a shower was out of the question, so she threw on the uniform bearing the Kaibara High School crest on it and hastily grabbed her bag. She didn't expect Kyou and Tohru to be waiting for her at the door. Tohru bowed nervously.

"Yuki-kun has student council before school, so he already left," the brown eyed girl said quickly, "but we didn't want you to have to walk to school alone on your first day." The look on Kyou's face suggested he hadn't necessarily shared that sentiment, but Usagi smiled brightly anyway.

"Thank you, Tohru-chan. That was very nice of you." The rabbit paused, and then went on, "We should go, before we're late."

The walk to school was uneventful, as Usagi listened to Tohru chatter with Kyou, though she did most of the talking. The brunette attempted to speak with her a few times, but she wasn't in the mood for conversation. Once they entered school grounds, the silver haired girl felt a cold, sickly feeling overcome her at the multitudes of teenagers that roamed the campus.

Tohru walked her to the main office, generously, to pick up her schedule, and then to her classroom when they got it. Usagi thanked her profusely, promising to make it up to her, before the older girl went off towards her own class. Taking a deep, calming breath, Usagi looked up at the class number to make sure it matched the one on the paper in her hands. She nearly had a heart attack when an arm encircled her shoulders from behind.

"I heard your mother came by last night," Hatsuharu said in low tones, and for that she was grateful, because any louder and several people would've heard. Her brow creased in confusion at the girls who were blatantly staring--or was that glaring?--at her. What was their problem? Brushing it off, Usagi smiled lightly at him.

"I wonder; is there ever a time when you won't be worried about me, Haru-chan?" She said, equally low tones, if not lower. Was it just her, or were those girls closing in on her? Maybe she was hallucinating; Hatsuharu didn't seem to notice anything. He smirked at her words.

"Probably not. I shouldn't be this time, apparently. I hear you really gave her hell." Usagi's face contorted, making Hatsuharu laugh. The girls definitely took a step closer.

"How did you hear about all this?" She asked, looking annoyed and somewhat anxious on the mob of girls closing in on them. Hatsuharu looked up, glaring in a way that might suggest he'd gone Black. The girls fell back, and Usagi tugged on his arm to bring his attentions back to her.

"Shigure called everyone, pretty much. He was happy for you." Usagi blushed, and then rolled her eyes, muttering something about a stupid dog. They were both caught off guard by the subsequent yell, which rang in the air around them and made everyone within one hundred feet jump.

"**USAGI-CHAN!**" The silver haired girl winced as one very hyper blonde boy literally pounced on her--Hatsuharu stepped away to avoid being pummeled--and squeezed her tight enough to cut off the oxygen to her brain. The glares for the girl population increased tenfold. Grinning happily, the boy followed up with, "Good morning!"

"Morning to you too, Momiji. I think you broke the sound barrier just now." They both giggled, and Hatsuharu smiled. The girls gave each other looks, but none of them were brave enough to approach. They still remembered the day that Hatsuharu went nuts and tore the classroom all to pieces. The bell sounded, signaling the start of school, and Usagi looked between the two Sohmas.

"Which class are you guys in?" She asked eagerly. Momiji pointed, and her face visibly fell. They were in the class across the hall. When they realized this, Momiji smiled at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Usagi-chan, we'll still eat lunch together. We all eat up on the roof." The blue eyed girl nodded, smiling and waving goodbye as she turned to enter her own classroom. Once beyond the threshold, her face went grim. She was stuck in a class all by herself with no one she knew, and to make matters worse, the girls in class were muttering to each other and glaring at her, all but one in the very back. A gasp escaped her lips as her bag slipped from her fingers, clattering noisily against the floor. The girl stood from her desk to approach her.

"Usa-neechan!" Usagi looked her over again, too shocked for words. The dark hair that used to be at her shoulder now fell to her mid-back, and her violet eyes were glinting with a smile. Hesitantly, the rabbit reached out to touch her, afraid she was an illusion. Her hand didn't go through.

Finally, she unlocked her vocal chords enough to choke out, "Hotaru-chan?"

**xXx**

**(1**) There really are creams and oils you can puts on bruises to help them heal faster. I didn't make it up, I swear. -sweatdrop-

**(2) **I only assume Yuki's mother has silver hair. The only image I've seen of her thus far is in black and white, so sorry if this is incorrect. I don't even know her name yet! If you know of a picture, or description of her let me know! By the way, Yuki's mother really is like this, I just got my Tokyopop Magazine in the mail with the preview of Volume 13, where Yuki has his parent/teacher conference. So I didn't make it up.

**(3) **The dialogue here, between Yuki and his mother, is straight from the manga.

:laughs insanely as the readers start throwing their shoes: Yes, yes, a dreaded cliffy! I will say or reveal nothing of why Hotaru-chan is in Usagi's class at Usagi's school! If you're confused though, I will say that only the inner senshi had their memories erased, which excludes Hotaru, Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna. I don't have much else to say, but, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you all for the wonderful reviews!

By the way, since this is my story and I own all rights to free, shameless advertising space here...please go read my new story _The Cures_. Please?

♥SachiNyoko♥


	10. Chapter 10

Finally, she unlocked her vocal chords enough to choke out, "Hotaru-chan?"

"Yes, yes, it's me! Setsuna came to the house to tell Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama about what had been happening, and they decided I should come to 'keep an eye on you.' They really didn't want you to be lonely. That, and Setsuna says that someone passed through the time stream the other day and was gone before she could stop them. We don't know anything yet, but there could be a new enemy." Hotaru explained in low tones, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation.

"Girls, please take your seat, class is beginning." The two turned to see the teacher, a tall middle aged man with jet black hair, looking down on them with a frown. They nodded and scurried to the back of the room, where Hotaru had taken her seat previously, and Usagi claimed the one beside it. As their teacher called for silence, she suddenly became aware of the stares she was receiving.

"Everyone, please welcome the two new students, Sohma Usagi and Tomoe Hotaru." He pointed to each of them, and proceeded with roll call.

"Yeah, she's the girl...no, the one behind me." The silver haired girl blinked and stared at the back of the girl in front of her. She was leaning over her desk, talking to the girl in front of her, but loudly enough to be conspicuous. Gauging that she was supposed to be hurt, or upset, Usagi just rolled her eyes and focused on the teacher.

The girl in front of Hotaru leaned across the aisle to whisper something, effectively blocking Usagi's view of the teacher's desk. Perturbed, she was about to open her mouth when Hotaru landed a swift kick on the other girl's leg. Usagi covered her mouth quickly to stifle her laughter, while the other girl glared.

"Oh, sorry. My leg slipped." Hotaru said, smiling cheekily as the girl swiveled in her desk to face the teacher as well, who was sending a warning glance in their general direction. They gave each other a thumbs up as the bell ending homeroom rang. The day was uneventful, up until lunch, where Usagi remembered that she was meeting Hatsuharu and Momiji on the roof to eat, and delve into the lunch that Tohru had unexpectedly packed for her.

"By the way," Hotaru said as they searched for the staircase that lead to the roof, "I love your hair."

"Thanks, I like yours too. It looks good long." Usagi smiled, stopping as she spotted Hatsuharu and Momiji up ahead. Behind them was a small group of girls chatting amongst themselves, but every few seconds they would stop dead and leer at the two oblivious Sohmas. Usagi raised her eyebrows, but motioned for Hotaru to follow her as she ran to catch up with the duo.

"Oi! Haru! Miji!" They stopped and turned, waiting for her to catch up, and when she did, she said, "You know you're being stalked right?" Her blue eyes twinkled merrily as the girls reddened and veered off down another hallway, trying to look discreet. "Anyway, this is my friend Hotaru. Hotaru, this is Hatsuharu and Momiji. It's okay if she comes with us, right?"

"Nice to meet you, Hotaru! Of course she can come," Momiji said happily, while Hatsuharu simply nodded. The three of them ascended the stairs to the rooftop, where Tohru, Kyou, and Yuki were already seated eating lunch.

As they walked over to join the trio, Usagi said absentmindedly, "I can guess why you guys eat up here, with all your female stalkers." Hotaru giggled, while Hatsuharu sent her an expression that resembled a smirk.

"If you think that was bad, you should meet the Prince Yuki fan club." Her blue eyes widened, and then blinked several times, before she started laughing hysterically, drawing the attention of the two Sohmas and Tohru Honda, who'd been oblivious of their presence until then. They settled down to eat, Usagi still laughing, and after a moment or two Tohru finally asked what was so funny.

"D-Do," Usagi giggled before calming herself enough to ask, "Do they actually call you Prince Yuki?" She turned towards the violet-eyed boy with her question. He reddened and glared at Hatsuharu, who smirked in response, and the whole event sent Usagi laughing again.

"Did you have to tell her_ that _of all things?" Yuki asked, sounding beyond annoyed. Hatsuharu shrugged offhandedly and continued eating his lunch. Their lunch went by smoothly, cheerfully, and the rest of Usagi's day was monotonous at best. She convened with Hotaru outside the gate of the school, pulling her away from the crowd of students ready to get home. Turning towards the black haired girl, her expression became serious.

"Hotaru-chan, did Setsuna tell you about the Sohmas?" With an equally grim expression, Hotaru nodded.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, though, okay?" Her violet eyes lit up as she smiled, "See you tomorrow, Usagi-chan!" Turning, she ran off down the sidewalk, pausing once to spin and wave enthusiastically. Smiling, Usagi returned the wave before sprinting back to the school gates, looking around for any signs of a Sohma. Finally she spotted a mess of white hair over the crowd and pounced.

"Haru-chan!" This time, she welcomed the fan girl glares, grinning cheekily back at them and sticking her tongue out. Hey, if she had to deal with it she was going to milk it for all it was worth. The taller boy looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, but she just inclined her head towards the mob of girls he was otherwise overlooking, and he nodded his response. "Haru-chan being the fine gentleman that you are, would you please escort me to the main house?"

The hostile look she received quite surprised her, and she released his arm from her hold as a reflex. Hatsuharu asked, half accusing, "Why do you want to go to the main house?" Usagi faltered, feeling kind of foolish for not at least thinking up an excuse before she asked. Sighing, she offered him her best pleading smile.

"Please, Haru-chan. I need to do this." Hatsuharu looked down at her, his mouth in a straight line. Not being used to his anger, she had to look away. They stood in silence for a moment, as most of the students had already cleared out. Only a sparse few still hung around, mostly friends talking. Finally, Hatsuharu reached his hands up and placed them on each side of her face, tilting her head to look in her eyes.

"I understand that. But you have to wait," he said sternly, and above all other reactions he expected, Usagi just smiled softly as she placed her hands over his and pulled them back down.

"I can't. When you really love someone, you can't wait. Oniisan told me a bit of what happened between you and Rin-san," Hatsuharu winced slightly, but Usagi continued, "and I know that now more than ever you're just trying to protect me. Still, I can't wait. When you're fighting a war, you can't wait for your wounds to heal. That almost sounded like some old war veteran's saying, ne?"

The silver haired girl giggled at herself, earning a small smile from Hatsuharu. She looked at him earnestly before she turned to go, but he stopped her. "Wait. Just until the week is over, wait. Do it for me."

A frown passed over her face as she turned to look at him again, something in his dark eyes suggesting mirth. Sighing, she said, "You jerk. Fine, the end of the week it is. And you're welcome!"

Usagi stuck out her tongue rather childishly before she waved, and turned on her heel to go, this time headed for Shigure's house. After all the things Hatsuharu had done for her, she couldn't deny him one simple and perfectly legitimate request. She would wait for the week to end.

**xXx**

"Tohru-chan, it's fine. I'll go. Kyou-san will show me the way, right?" The silver haired girl looked to her left, where the grumbling cat of the zodiac was standing, albeit reluctantly. At the question, he nodded, refusing to look their way. Tohru appeared very anxious, to the point where Usagi wiggled her eyebrows at Yuki, who was standing behind her, saying, "Oniisan, don't you think it's better if we go to the store while Tohru-chan watches the rest of the food? Tohru-chan, if you leave it to Oniisan or Gure-chan they'll burn the whole house down."

"She's right, Honda-san." Yuki agreed, ignoring the look his younger sister sent him. What was it for, anyway? Tohru reluctantly conceded, drifting back to the kitchen to make sure nothing for their dinner was burning. As soon as she was out of sight, the younger girl turned toward him with annoyance in her dark blue eyes.

"Oniisan, you call Tohru-chan 'Honda-san?' How come? I mean, you guys have known each other for a while, right? Plus you obviously like her and all," Usagi was abruptly cut off by Kyou, who grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door, away from the silver haired boy that had suddenly gone very red in the face. She fell into step beside the red eyed boy, a satisfied smile on her lips.

"That worked out well. At least I think so." Kyou grumbled under his breath but didn't make any further comments. Of course, the implication suddenly hit her and Usagi flushed, "Er, do you like Tohru-chan too, Kyou-san?"

"Shut up," he snapped, glaring at her before turning back toward the road, "it's none of your business."

"Um, you're right. Sorry," she apologized, her blue eyes turning uncertainly toward the woods. They walked in silence, Kyou walking ahead of her since he knew the way. The silence didn't last too long, for a certain rabbit never was fond of overly quiet moments. She started humming, which of course led to singing.

"_I was so happy when you smiled, Your smile breaks through the clouds of grey, Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep._" Usagi paused, thinking what the next words were, and smiled lightly when she remembered, "_Waiting with patience for the spring, When the flowers will bloom renewed again, Knowing there's more beyond the pain of today. Although the scars of yesterday remain, You can go on living as much as your heart believes. You can't be born again although you can change, Let's stay together always._"

Usagi continued humming the melody, even after the words ended, ignoring the glance Kyou sent at her over his shoulder. At last, he said, "You know, people are staring at you." The blue eyed girl blinked, looking around at the people passing by them on the sidewalk. She hadn't even noticed they'd entered town yet, since she'd been staring at Kyou's back the whole time.

"So?" She replied, smiling up at him as she sped up to walk at his side. They walked on quietly, reaching the small market in no time at all. Usagi browsed the aisles for the ingredients on the list Tohru had made for her, completely oblivious to the people around her. As she placed the last of them in the basket, a soft voice cut through her thoughts and brought her crashing back down to earth.

"Excuse me young lady, could you help me? I'm having trouble deciding what to cook," Kyou looked on with narrowed eyes as Usagi's demeanor quickly shifted. Her blue eyes looked saddened as they studied the middle aged woman with a sweet smile lighting up her brown eyes. Her hair fell down her back in long, wavy locks of blue. "You see, I want to make something special for my son, Shingo. He got an A on his math test."

"That's wonderful," Usagi said brightly, though she seemed to be struggling against her tears. With a deep breath, she took a look at the ingredients in the woman's basket and thought it over for a moment, before a slow smile spread over her face. "I think you should make odango."

"Oh, that is a good idea! Thank you!" The woman paused, looking pensive for a moment as she studied the younger girl's face. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Usagi drew in a sharp breath, before she smiled, shaking her head no, "No ma'am, I don't think so. Have a good day." Bowing, she let her silver hair fall around her face as she walked away, Kyou following in his typical silence. She emptied their items onto the counter one by one, slightly in a daze. Finally, though Kyou hadn't exactly asked, she turned to him with an explanation.

"That was my adoptive mother." Wordlessly, she handed the money to the man and went to take the bags, but Kyou took them first. They walked out of the store and down the street quite a ways before Usagi finally let go of her tears. "I knew she didn't remember, but...seeing it only makes it that much harder."

'_I can't imagine how Momiji feels, seeing his mother._' They continued to walk, and Kyou waited until her tears had dried before he asked, "Are you some kind of idiot? It's only been a couple of days since you got that," he pointed to the bruise on her cheek, "and you already want to go back?"

"How'd you know about that?" Usagi asked, bewildered. Kyou turned the other way, and if she wasn't mistaken, she detected the faintest hint of red on his cheeks.

"I heard you telling Hatsuharu on my way out of school," he muttered, making the shorter girl giggle.

"Oh, so you were eavesdropping?" She asked teasingly, making a vein appear on the orange haired boy's forehead. He whipped his head around to glare at her, ignoring the blissful look on her face.

"Shut up! It's not like that!" He yelled, making Usagi snigger even more.

"Then what is it like?"

"Well--! Um..."

"Kyou-kun, you're so funny," the rabbit smiled, her blue eyes shining happily as she took one of the bags from his hand. "Now give me a bag so it doesn't look like I made you do all the work."

"But you did! And since when did you have permission to call me 'Kyou-kun'!" He shouted back, nearly hyperventilating with all the blood rushing to his face.

"Permission?" Usagi questioned, her eyebrows raised in mock innocence, "So you don't want me to call you Kyou-kun?"

"I didn't--! Hey, get back here!" Kyou yelled as Usagi set off at a run, Shigure's house now in sights. She turned and sent a grin over her shoulder, but kept running at full speed. She was no match for Kyou, however, which he made a point of as he sprinted to catch up with her. They both skidded to a halt in front of the door, and Usagi bent over, panting for air. Then, she reached out and tapped the door lightly with her hand.

"I win," she said cheerfully, laughing as the vein once again appeared on Kyou's forehead.

"What do you mean you win? I was here first; you didn't say anything about tagging the stupid house!" He retorted.

"Tsk, tsk, Kyou-kun! How else would we measure who won? I mean _really_." At his expression, she laughed again, completely filled with mirth, "Thank you, Kyou-kun. You really cheered me up." She took the other bag from his hand, and since her hands were too occupied to give him a hug, she stood on her tip-toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. Then she entered the house, a cry of 'Tohru-chan!' echoing behind the closed door. Frowning, the cat turned and headed for the roof. There was no way he was going inside with his face as red as it was.

Inside, Usagi dumped the bags on the counter and full out glomped Momiji, who was leaning up against said counter. "Miji-kun!"

"Usagi-chan!" Momiji exclaimed with equal fervor. His voice grew concerned as he pulled away, placing a hand against her forehead. "Are you okay? You feel feverish."

"Nonsense! I'm perfectly--" The group in the kitchen watched, sweatdropping, as the silver haired girl sunk to the floor, swirlies over her eyes and waves of heat radiating from her forehead, before she transformed into a rabbit. Tohru let out an 'eep,' trying to rouse the girl while Shigure simply rose, walking to the nearest phone and dialing an all too familiar number.

"Hey Hari, guess who?"

**xXx**

"You told me that she would never come back," Akito's voice rang clear and cold across the darkened gardens, falling on only one set of ears. The receiver of these words glanced at the speaker, eyes betraying no emotion.

"She wouldn't have, if she hadn't seen Yuki." The person replied tonelessly, standing perfectly still as they observed the hunched form leaning against the door frame. Strange that a person of so little physical strength should hold such power over so many people.

"Clever Hatori, erasing those girls' memories one by one. It was so easy, too. Offer one little piece of information on the rabbit and they practically fell into our hands." Akito chuckled darkly, before he became serious again and looked to the shadowy figure standing just beyond the door. "Can the spell be redone?"

"Yes," the silhouette replied softly, bringing a sadistic smile to the Sohma's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but the voice cut him off, "It can be redone, but I refuse to do it. Before there was a reason, but now her destiny has been fulfilled. I will not destroy her happiness for your own selfishness."

The person finally stepped forward, the dim light from inside the room falling over their face, as though a mask of shadows had been lifted. The woman's garnet eyes gleamed with something unreadable as they looked down on Akito, fuming with silent rage at her feet. "If you let her, she could help you too." And she was gone.

**xXx**

Usagi woke in a familiar state, groggy and with her head pounding. A stern looking Hatori stood over her, outright glaring at the thermometer in his hands. She made to sit up, but he noticed her movement and shoved her back down in the pillows. "I don't think so. At one hundred and three you're not going anywhere. You aren't allowed in school tomorrow, either, and possibly the next day if you haven't improved enough by tomorrow afternoon. You will stay in bed the entire time."

The rabbit shrunk back against the bed as if he were a wolf ready to maul her and eat her for supper. Despite the severity of his voice, she could still see the hints of concern about his face. She nodded, conceding to his requests. "Thank you, Hatori-kun, for looking after me."

"It's my job. Take these," he pressed two pills in her hand, which Usagi recognized as the cold medicine she'd taken not so long ago. She accepted the glass of water and, propping herself on her elbows, swallowed the medicine down. "When you're under too much stress or when you don't get enough rest, you're more susceptible to getting sick. Try to remember that and stay healthy."

"Yes, thank you," Usagi smiled as Hatori gathered his things and left without saying anything further. She waited a few moments to see if anyone was waiting to see her, and when she decided they weren't, she rolled over on her side and drifted off to sleep again.

Sometime later, the door to the room opened and closed quickly as the person entered. Leaning against the door, the boy let his red eyes scan the sleeping form on the bed. '_What an idiot._' Still, he was here. Almost as if sensing someone was there with her, the girl's blue eyes opened blearily, and she smiled somewhat drunkenly as she seen him standing there.

"Kyou-kun, I didn't know you had a twin," she giggled, making him roll his eyes. "What's up?"

After a few moments, Usagi concluded he wasn't going to answer, but it didn't bother her much. She just stared at him the same way he was staring at her, until he finally said, "Tohru is making you," he paused, a grimace coming to his face, "leek soup. You know, to help with your cold."

"You don't like leeks, eh Kyou-kun?" The orange haired youth shook his head negative, making the girl on the bed smile, "Me neither."

Within minutes, Usagi had fallen back to sleep, her head lolling onto the pillow. Kyou snorted, and then frowned at himself. '_It doesn't matter. When she finds out, it'll be just like everyone else. Just like..._' The frightened eyes of a child flashed through his mind. Blocking his thoughts, he left the room silently.

Usagi was roused one more time that evening, when Tohru brought her leek soup upstairs. She ate at it, taking a spoonful now and then to appease the anxious brunette. Finally, she declared herself too sleepy to eat on, so Tohru surrendered and left her to sleep for the rest of the night.

**xXx**

The next morning, Shigure woke her, bringing the reheated leftovers of the leek soup much to her disdain. He told her that everyone had already gone to school, and watched to make sure she downed the whole bowl. If she hadn't been so hungry, the rabbit couldn't have done it. The tray aside, Usagi glanced at the dog and remembered the question she'd wanted to ask the other day, on their way to Juuban High School.

"Gure-chan, is there a way to break the curse?" She asked, slightly rushed to make sure she got it out before losing nerve. Shigure looked taken aback, before he smiled knowingly and glanced out the window. His face looked pensive for a moment as he though, and Usagi waited on tenterhooks.

"I really can't answer that," he said in all seriously. Though she couldn't tell if it was because he didn't know, or he didn't want her to know, she knew better than to question him further with the tone he used. The rabbit sighed, leaning her head back into the pillows and enjoying the cool sensation on her skin. Pretty soon, the fabric would absorb her warmth again and it wouldn't be as pleasant. Her eyes, too, found the window.

"I hope there is," big blue eyes slid closed, and her face relaxed, "I'd give anything. I'd give my life."

"That price is a little too steep," Shigure answered calmly, watching Usagi's eyes move under their closed lids, "Besides, you're getting way too far ahead of yourself again. One thing at a time, Rabbit-chan."

Smiling, she could feel sleep overtaking her consciousness once again, and she yawned into the back of her hand. "S'hard to take 'em one at a time," another yawn, "when they come atcha all at once."

**xXx**

"Sorry Hotaru-chan," Usagi apologized, bowing to the onyx haired girl in front of her. "I came down with a cold."

"Don't worry about it," Hotaru replied, waving her hand in physical dismissing of the girl's explanation. "You did leave me alone in our new war against the evils of fanatic high school girls."

Usagi sweatdropped at the completely serious tone Hotaru used when she said this, and looked over her shoulder to the looming crowd of psycho fan girls. Really, it didn't surprise her too much that the boys of the Sohma had their own fan clubs among the female population, but the blatant hostility? Well, okay, that wasn't too much of a shock either. After all, high school girls were known for their irrational cattiness and overall behavior.

"_Oh_," Usagi finally cried, loud and melodramatic so the whole class could hear her, "the horror these female demons hath wrought upon me."

"That's enough, get to your seats," the teacher said sharply from behind them. The two girls fell into seats sniggering, both ready to burst from laughter. Usagi rested her head against the wall behind her, blue eyes fixed on the ceiling with laughter still shining in them. A deep exhale of breath escaped her lungs and she closed her eyes, '_Things_ will_ get better._' Her daydream was interrupted abruptly by a shrill scream.

The silver haired girl sat up straight in her seat, her gaze immediately finding familiar violet eyes. They both stood, and among the pandemonium, found their way to the hall. "Hotaru, what's going on?" The girl in question looked around the hall, watching the students run in panic. Usagi's eyes widened and she pressed herself flat against the wall. She couldn't risk transforming.

Inching back toward the classroom door, she waited until the steady line of students stopped flowing from the entrance before she threw herself back inside, away from the multitudes of teenagers. She found herself walking toward the window, and what she saw made her heart leap into her throat. "Hotaru!"

The other girl rushed to her side, and at the sight, her face hardened. Usagi reached in her pocket, thankful that she'd brought the object with her today for the first day since she'd gotten it from her house. When her parents' memories had been erased, all of her stuff had been brought to Shigure's house, including the broach she now held in her hands. "Silver Moon Crystal Power!"

"Saturn Planet Power!"

"Make up!"

It felt different than she remembered, being Sailor Moon, or Eternal Sailor Moon in this case. She flexed her hands, the white gloves wrinkling around her knuckles, and briefly wondered if she'd transform into her zodiac animal in this form. Sailor Saturn frowned, pulling Usagi toward the door. She snapped from her reverie, picking up her pace to run alongside her.

As they disappeared up the staircase to the rooftop, Hatsuharu and Momiji appeared from their classroom. The hall was completely deserted now, and the two walked across the hall to look in Usagi's class. "Usagi-chan's not here. If she went into the crowd, she might have transformed." Momiji said worriedly.

"No," Hatsuharu replied, shaking his head, "Usagi-chan wouldn't do that. Come on." The white haired boy led the shorter out of the empty classroom.

Meanwhile, on the roof, Sailor Moon was getting her second shock of the day. Four very familiar, skirt wearing heroines had just arrived on the scene, and Moon placed a restraining hand on Sailor Saturn's arm as she made to jump into the fray. "Wait a moment. They don't remember me. They probably don't remember Sailor Moon either. So just wait." Grudgingly, the dark haired senshi nodded and watched the four inner guardians engage the large youma in battle.

Deciding the roof wouldn't be the best place to approach the battle, she signaled to the larger tree on school grounds, some feet away from where the fight was taking place. Saturn nodded her understanding, climbing to the ledge and jumping, landing slightly wobbly on a large branch and moving against the trunk of the tree for balance. Moon stepped onto the ledge, but before she could, she realized what had changed when she transformed.

'_My odango buns are back!_' Pulling one of the blonde streamers in front of her eyes, she smiled brightly. "Hey!" The super heroine turned, spotting Hatsuharu at the top of the stairs, his dark eyes scrutinizing her. She flashed a smile before turning back towards the tree and jumping.

It took all she had not to scream at the top of her lungs as she fell. Her boot hit the branch, and then slid right out from under her. Panicked, the now blonde girl wrapped her legs around the tree and her arms, dangling from the tree limb helplessly.

"Help," she hissed at Saturn, who was trying her best not to laugh as she pulled Sailor Moon to a sitting position beside her. "I never said I was graceful." Moon defended as they turned full attention back to the battle. The inner scouts had done the most damage thus far, but they were tiring quickly. Sighing, she motioned for Saturn to join her as she jumped from the tree branch, landing a bit more gracefully than before.

The youma sent a large ball of energy toward Sailor Mercury, who was sporting a cut on her upper thigh. Her blue eyes widened as the attack came nearer, and she tried to scramble away, knowing she wouldn't make it in time. Saturn raised her glaive, shouting, "Silence Wall!"

A barrier formed instantly between the intelligent senshi and the oncoming death, absorbing the energy completely. Moon considered a speech, but decided against it, summoning her wand to her hands, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

The blindingly bright attack sailed towards the youma, engulfing it completely. When the light died down, not a trace was left. Sailor Mars immediately stepped forward, "Who are you?"

Sailor Venus joined the raven haired senshi, placing a calm hand on her shoulder. The blonde smiled at them as she took in their appearance, her eyes pausing to study the twin buns on Moon's head. "Are you, the princess?"

"Yes, but I'm also Eternal Sailor Moon," the girl answered, a bit of hurt flashing through her eyes. Students and teachers began to wander out of the school, staring at the super heroes with awe. Moon's blue eyes scanned the crowd before she jumped back up in the tree, thankfully without falling, and Saturn followed. "Another time, senshi."

They disappeared through the foliage, hopping from tree to tree until they made it to the back of the school. Immediately reverting back to their normal selves, they went in the back entrance and ran through the hall until they joined the crowd waiting, blending in as best they could. It didn't take too long for someone to spot them, though.

"Hey, rat boy, I found her." Usagi spun around, her now shorter and silver hued hair swinging over her shoulder as she met eyes with Kyou. Yuki and Tohru appeared behind him, both looking worried.

"Hello, Kyou-kun. Oniisan, I'm okay." The rabbit greeted cheerfully, and then looked around. "Hey where are Hatsuharu and Momiji?"

"Thank goodness!" Usagi blinked as Tohru enveloped her in a hug, "We looked everywhere for you, and you weren't in your class. We were so worried." The blue eyed girl smiled before gently pulling away from the brunette's grip. What she saw made her nearly hysterical.

"Ah! Tohru-chan, don't cry!" Usagi grabbed the small girl's shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "Why are you crying, Tohru-chan? Don't cry!"

"I don't think that's helping," Kyou commented dryly, watching as Tohru's eyes became swirled. Usagi pulled the girl to her in a hug once more, saying, "I'm sorry Tohru-chan! I'll never make you worry again!"

Yuki let a chuckle escape him at his younger sister's antics, which she noticed gleefully from the corner of her eye. A smile lit up her face as a sudden idea hit her, and she held Tohru out at arm's length. "Hey I just thought of a great idea! Let's have a movie night!"

**xXx**

Wowza, that chapter broke 5,000 words! I was going to use the direct translation of For Fruits Basket, but it was a lot longer, so I settled for the dub version. You might think that Hotaru seems a little out of character but...this is not the same Hotaru raised to become Mistress 9 and yada yada. She's been reborn and brought up under the care of the outer scouts, so she's not as dark and depressed as is normal for the other Hotaru. Of course, being Sailor Saturn, she still possesses some dark traits.

I hope you don't think the fact that the fan girls are attacking Usagi is me trying to victimize her in some way. I'm just poking fun at how ridiculously insane the Prince Yuki Fan Club is and how it would be the same for the other Sohmas. By the way, I finally got the whole volume 13 which has been out all month but I've been broke. (sweatdrops) I really want to bring Tohru in more! I love Tohru-chan! (squeezes Tohru plushie)

I'm also really upset over the pairing, because I want Usagi to be with Hatsuharu a lot but the more she talks with Kyou, I want her to be with him too! I'm so torn. (sniffles) Hey, guess what? You people were asking if Sailor Moon would be involved and tada! (points to the chapter) I don't know what else to say, except maybe, this chapter is extra long so I should get some extra reviews? I know, I'm greedy. :)

♥SachiNyoko♥


	11. Chapter 11

Egad! Such a fast update for me!

Hmm, just so you know, the beginning of this chapter is completely silly, but the mood was getting so heavy that I wanted to do something to lighten it up. Normally when I write (somewhat) humor-ish the general quality suffers, so be prepared for that during the first segment. After that, it'll do a 180 and become somber again. I thought it best to warn you. By the way, I own none of the movies mentioned.

**xXx**

Smiling into the bathroom mirror, Usagi studied her face for a moment before the expression faded and she sighed. She grabbed the hair tie from the edge of the porcelain sink and brushed through her hair, pulling the silver strands back into a ponytail before observing her outfit for the night's occasion; a pair of sweat pants and an oversized men's tee shirt, because every girl had to have one, of course. Usually from a boyfriend or other male counterpart, but Usagi couldn't bear the thought of donning the one she'd swiped from Mamoru.

Taking one more deep breath, the rabbit flashed a more genuine smile at herself as she thought of the night ahead. With a bit of laughter she stampeded out of the bathroom and down the stairs, where Tohru was just exiting the kitchen, no doubt finished with cleaning up after dinner. The blue eyed girl gasped, drawing the other girl's attention.

"Tohru-chan! You aren't dressed for the occasion!" Before the small brunette could say anything, Usagi began to pull her upstairs and towards the room she knew belonged to the older girl. She only paused briefly to glance around the surprisingly empty room before she said, "Okay, what's your most comfortable set of clothing?"

Ten minutes later found Tohru in pajamas, both of them heading back downstairs, the poor girl slightly bewildered and red in the face. Usagi tended to have that affect on people at times. They burst into the living room, where Hotaru was already seated pulling DVD cases out of the bag she'd brought with her. Yuki, sitting quietly and studying the black haired girl's movement, seemed a bit confused as to what was going on. To his left, Kyou sat muttering to himself and glaring at the growing pile of movies, wondering why he was there in the first place.

"Hatsuharu and Momiji aren't here yet?" Usagi asked, looking around the room expectantly.

"We are," the even answer sounded from over her shoulder, making her jump in shock and let out a small scream. She wheeled on Hatsuharu with an irritated look, as he fought off the urge to laugh and pushed past her to greet Yuki. Momiji engulfed her into a hug, which she returned enthusiastically. Hotaru called out to her, and she turned as the violet eyed girl produced the final item from her bag.

"Popcorn!" The rabbit cheered, running over and grabbing the box from Hotaru's hands, "To the kitchen!" A few minutes after the two of them disappeared, the sounds of popping filtered from the kitchen, along with the familiar buttery scent. They came back with a large bowl full, plus some chips they had confiscated from the pantry. Hotaru set the snacks on the table while Usagi turned to the rest of the group with a serious expression.

"Now, the first rule of movie night is it has to be on a Friday or Saturday so there's no pesky school the following morning, which we've already accomplished. Second, all scary movies are saved until after dark. Third, the person who finishes off the snacks is responsible for getting more." She paused, thinking, and then shrugged, "I guess that's it! So, what should we watch first?"

The silver haired girl turned, tilting her head sideways so she could read the titles on the stack of DVDs. Her face lit up as she pulled one from near the top, and she turned to the group with a smile, "How about a romance?"

(**A/N: **I normally don't cut in, but I just wanted to say that I'm using American movies because I don't know a lot of Japanese movies and it's just easier this way. Carry on.)

"No." Though said in various tones, this seemed to be the consensus among the male members of their group, and Tohru didn't respond. A frown passed over her lips as she turned back to the stack.

"Okay, fair enough. Aha! It's perfect!" Usagi turned back again, a DVD box held up in her hands and a grin on her face, "_The Lion King_!"

Silence followed, mostly from shock, until Tohru finally spoke up, "I've never seen that." The brunette instantly reddened under the look of horror Usagi sent her, and she practically shoved the DVD at Hotaru so she could put it in. Even _she_ didn't trust herself with electronics.

"Never seen _The Lion _King? A travesty, really!" She said as she moved around the table for better popcorn access. Hotaru put the disc in the DVD player, pushing it closed and grabbing the remote from the top of the television. Taking the empty seat to the other side of Usagi, the seating went around the table as follows: Hotaru, Usagi, Hatsuharu, Yuki, Tohru, Kyou, and Momiji, much to the cat's displeasure. Raising the remote, Hotaru pushed play.

The African style music blasted through the speakers, and the sun started to light up the screen in bright orange. Usagi and Hotaru sang along with the opening song; when it was over, the green eyed, black mane lion took over the screen, and Usagi gasped, "It's Scar! He's so evil!"

"I know," Hotaru agreed, nodding grimly. A few minutes later, she brightened, "Simba!" Tohru, down the line, was watching with much enthusiasm. They stayed quiet for a while, watching the movie with a fascination that would suggest they'd never seen it before. That is, up until the next song came on and the two girls sang along with, "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."

A glare from Kyou subdued them, all the way until the next song, sang by the villain Scar. They stayed ominously silent through the next seen, which was apparent when Mufasa was thrown from the ledge by the evil lion, and they burst into tears when the crumpled Mufasa was found by his son. Kyou rolled his eyes, muttering, "Stupid girls crying over a cartoon." When he heard the sniffling at his sides, Kyou looked down at Tohru and Momiji with a sweatdrop; they were also crying.

Once the movie ended, the orange haired boy immediately said, "No more cartoons or movies that suddenly burst into song."

"Aww, Tohru-chan liked it," Usagi said, grinning at the nodding girl beside Kyou. He was unconvinced, so she looked at the stack and turned back to him with a smile, "How about an action movie next? Well, action and superhero, kind of. _Spiderman_!"

"It has to be better than a cartoon," he responded, rolling his red eyes toward the ceiling. Nodding her approval, she handed the movie to Hotaru and they reclaimed their seats, starting the movie. Ten minutes into it, Kyou protested, "This isn't action; it's about some loser with a stalking problem."

"Well, he hasn't become Spiderman yet!" Usagi said, quickly followed by Hotaru saying, "And he isn't stalking Mary Jane, he's in love with her!"

"Whatever," Kyou grumbled.

In the other room, Shigure was chuckling into the phone as he listened to the shouting coming from his living room. The person on the other end of the line was still talking, completely oblivious, until they suddenly asked, "How's Chibi-chan?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean Usagi," Shigure held up the phone as the loud shout of, '_Kyou-kun, stop complaining!_'reverberated through the room. He brought the receiver back to his ear, hearing Ayame's laughter as he did so, "I'd say she's doing a bit better. Especially considering your mother stopped by earlier this week."

"What? And you didn't tell me?" The snake shouted indignantly, making Shigure pull the phone away from his ear as a reflex.

Shaking his head, the dog replied, "I called you twice, you weren't home. I left a message too."

On Ayame's end of the line, he looked over at his answering machine, which was blinking '37' in digital red letters. Laughing, he said into the phone, "Shigure, you know I have no use for that machine."

"Then why do you have it, Aya? Anyway, you don't have to worry; she stood up for herself and Yuki. She even kicked her out of the house," the writer replied with amusement, balancing a pen on his nose out of boredom. Back in the other room, the credits began rolling for Spiderman, and Usagi jumped to her feet, "Bathroom break! Kyou-kun ate the last of the popcorn so he must make more!"

The silver haired girl dashed out of the room, dragging Hotaru with her, and the two disappeared upstairs. The cat rose from his seat with the popcorn bowl in his hands, grumbling, "This was the dumbest idea ever."

When the pair descended the stairs again, Hotaru sent a glance out the window while Usagi inhaled the scent of freshly popped buttery popcorn greedily. Grinning, the violet eyed girl poked her companion in the ribs and pointed to the pane of glass, which caused an identical grin to appear on the rabbit's face. They reentered the living room, Usagi diving for the stack off DVDs and finding the one she wanted.

"Guys, it is now dark outside, which means..." she trailed off, drawing a dramatic break before holding up the movie and shouting, "scary movie time!"

"R-really?" Tohru asked, her eyes widening.

"Imouto-chan, Honda-san doesn't really like scary movies--" Yuki began, to which Usagi let out a gasp.

"Well, Tohru-chan! The thing about scary movies is, they're supposed to scare you. So, you always watch them with a guy. That way, when something scary happens, you can just do this," The blue eyed girl leapt at Hatsuharu, latching onto his arm and hiding her face against his sleeve. He looked down at her, expressionless, until she pulled away and grinned at Tohru. "See? You're in luck, because you have two wonderful candidates on either side of you."

Usagi pointed to Kyou and Yuki, who both looked the other way. Hotaru shook her head, taking the movie and popping it in the DVD player. The room went dark for a moment, before the menu popped up and she pressed play. Shortly after the movie started, the screaming ensued and lasted onward for the whole 90 minutes of the movie.

"Ah! It's the cat boy!"

"It's coming from the ceiling!"

"Oh my god, get out of the stairway!"

"The thing is in her bed!"

"_It's coming down the stairs_!" Once the movie ended, and Tohru was pried off of Yuki's arm (she'd taken Usagi's advice quite literally), the brunette went to the kitchen to get everybody drinks. Hotaru convened with Momiji to pick the next movie, and Usagi's eyes followed Tohru out of the room. Without speaking, she rose and followed. When she entered, the girl was standing in front of the open fridge, panicking.

"Tohru-chan, I think everyone would like apple juice," the silver haired girl smiled, reaching past her to grab the unopened bottle of amber-hued liquid. Tohru jumped, startled, before she smiled also and began setting glasses out on the counter. Usagi began filling the first glass, and worked up her nerve before speaking, "I wanted to thank you, Tohru-chan."

"Eh? For what?" The girl asked, her brown eyes widening. A fond smile spread across the rabbit's face, but she didn't look up.

"For helping Oniisan. No, not just him, you've helped everyone. You don't know how much it means, coming back home and seeing people smile. Shigure's a lot different, and Kyou-kun and Yuki are living in the same house somewhat civilly. Even Ayame and Oniisan, who wouldn't even look at each other before, are getting along." Tears fell from her eyes before she could stop them, and she engulfed Tohru in a hug.

"I would've expected something completely different, but you're such a wonderful person Tohru-chan. Thank you so, so much," Usagi couldn't see Tohru's face, how red her cheeks had gotten or how her own eyes had filled with tears, but she knew the girl was smiling as she hugged her back.

**xXx**

The next morning, when Shigure walked downstairs he found the zoo that was his living room. Apparently, at some point the group had fetched pillows and blankets from upstairs, and had fallen asleep during _Robin Hood_ because the menu was still open on the TV screen.

Hotaru was sprawled next to the table, blanket halfway covering her pajama-clad form. Tohru and Yuki had nodded off sitting up with their backs against the couch, her head resting against his shoulder. On the couch itself, Usagi and Hatsuharu had managed to tangle their blankets _and _their limbs. Momiji was using Tohru's lap for a pillow, and Kyou was sleeping some distance away. A grin came across Shigure's face as he headed for his study.

When he returned, seconds later, he had a camera in his hand and his grin was looking somewhat sinister. Only one thought was running through his mind, '_Blackmail!_' Once his camera was full, he decided to leave and get them developed.

A while later, Usagi finally began to rouse; she could see the sunlight through her closed eyelids and remembered they most have fallen asleep in the living room. Vaguely she recalled Momiji requesting _Robin Hood _and falling asleep sometime after the animals were taken to jail for not paying their taxes. Yawning, she finally opened her eyes and realized she was not the only person awake, as predicted.

Her large blue eyes were inches away from Hatsuharu's dark brown, and the sudden shock would've made her scream if his hand didn't miraculously find its way over her mouth. He pulled it away, placing a finger over his own mouth. Usagi nodded, closing her eyes and trying to get her mind fully awake. Today promised to be a long day. Hatsuharu's hand was on her face again, touching the bruise along her cheek bone that had nearly disappeared. He whispered, "You're going today?"

"Yes," she whispered back, nodding along with this one word as though trying to convince herself as well. Hatsuharu frowned, and then gave her a look that absolutely wrenched at her heart. As opposed to anger, it was a lot closer to...sadness.

"You don't have to fix everything yourself." She smiled, before freeing her legs and crawling from the couch. Everyone else in the room was still snoozing, so she walked upstairs with Hatsuharu following her. Ignoring him, she walked in her room and began digging through her clothes for something to wear. After a while, she came up with a simple black dress and headed for the bathroom.

Before entering, she turned to the white haired boy still following her, and teasingly told him, "Okay, as flattering as the stalking is, I need to take a shower."

"Sure you don't need some company?" A grin spread over his face as Usagi's expression froze, her face flushing a deep red at the implication. She might've hit him if she'd though about it before he started walking away, not waiting for an answer. Instead, she entered the bathroom and started running the water, trying in vain to cool her heated cheeks.

Usagi, being used to spending a couple of hours washing, combing, and drying her hair, was surprised at how much easier the process became since her hair didn't nearly reach the floor. Finishing in a little over a half hour, she walked from the bathroom with a sigh of contentment, running her fingers through her still slightly damp hair. After fetching a pair of black sandals from her room, she walked downstairs to find Hotaru waiting for her.

"Sorry Usagi, I have to go," the violet eyed girl said as she hugged her, "I promised Haruka-papa that I'd be home before lunch, but I didn't want to leave without saying good-bye. Be careful, and if you need anything, anything at all, just call me. Okay?"

Usagi nodded, and watched as Hotaru left the house before walking in the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast hit her full force. As enticing as it was, her stomach was doing flip flops inside her, so she grabbed a single slice of dry toast and sat next to Kyou to munch on it, sending a half-serious glare at Hatsuharu. Tohru brought the rest of the food to the table, smiling as she did so.

"You look nice, Usagi-chan. Are you going somewhere today?" The brunette asked, earning a slow nod in response. Usagi swallowed the bit of toast in her mouth before she spoke.

"Yes. I'm going to the main house," she responded. Though she didn't come out and say the reason, it was blatantly obvious to them, and even Kyou send her an odd look from his spot beside her. She stayed poised under the attention, finally setting her half-eaten piece of toast down and standing, "See you later, then."

"Wait a minute," To her surprise, it was actually Kyou who pulled her back into her seat as Yuki pushed a plate of real food in front of her. Big blue eyes widened as she looked between them, wondering if they'd planned this and even more shocked that they'd agreed on something. "You're at least going to eat. I mean have you looked in the mirror? What do you weigh, like 90 pounds?"

_Actually, 96 as of this morning, _the blue eyed girl thought gloomily, at least ten pounds shy of a healthy weight for her miniscule height of five foot and one inch. (**1**) Tohru supplied her with a glass of orange juice, and even the cheerful brunette did not offer any sympathy to her situation. Sighing, she subdued and lifted her fork, eating slowly with small bites. Her face turned all different shades of red under the scrutiny of everyone in the kitchen.

"You guys are making me nervous," Usagi finally protested, frowning at each of them in turn. They turned back to their own plates and she sighed inwardly with relief. Normally, eating was not a problem for her, but she just had no appetite. Observing her now half empty plate, she glanced at each person at the table to make sure they weren't looking at her, before a mischievous smile came to her lips.

Springing from her chair, she sprinted from the room and out of the house, leaving a temporarily stunned kitchen in her wake. Kicking herself into I'm-late-for-school speed, she didn't slow until she'd gotten at least halfway to the main house. Bending, with her hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath but found a few seconds later that Kyou had caught up with her, apparently employing his I'm-being-chased-by-Kagura speed.

"Kyou-kun! Er, hi," the blue eyed girl laughed nervously, shrinking under the glare he sent her, somehow made more menacing by the color of his eyes. Biting her lip, she asked, "You're not going to take me back now, are you?"

"No," he said grimly, and Usagi exhaled the breath she'd been holding, "But I am going to force feed you when we get back."

If it weren't for the lack of humor in his voice, the rabbit might've thought he was joking, but she just chuckled and began walking again. With nothing else to do, the cat followed, grumbling the whole way.

**xXx**

(**1**) I looked up on a height-to-weight ratio that the proper weight range for a 5'1" person with a small frame is 106-118 so yes, 96 would be veryunderweight. Also, Usagi was 4'8" in the series, but she was also 14 and in junior high, so I figure she would've grown at least a few inches since then.

This cliffhanger (sort of) is my revenge! Well, the reviewing wasn't as enthusiastic as it has been; which I guess I understand because last chapter was a bit dull. It was necessary, to explain Hotaru and to introduce Sailor Moon, plus get Usagi into the flow of school and living at Shigure's. This chapter was, basically, me having some fun and trying to inject a bit of lighthearted-ness into the fic since it's so dark and depressing.

Next time, Usagi has her second meeting with Akito. Will she get through to the head of the family? Or will she just get hurt all over again? Is that a youma I see? Why does Setsuna need to talk to Usagi so badly? All that and more, coming up! Review, they keep me alive. (twitch) Or something like that.

♥SachiNyoko♥


	12. Chapter 12

The duo reached the gates to the large Sohma estates, Usagi pausing to look down at her dirt-covered feet. She'd left her sandals at Shigure's house when she made her sudden escape. Turning toward Kyou, who had stopped just behind her, she smiled lightly, "I shouldn't be too long. You don't have to wait if you don't want to."

"Just don't get yourself hurt," Kyou replied dismissively. "I don't want to have to hear that damn rat's mouth."

"I'll try," she giggled, and then let herself into the Sohma estate, leaving the orange haired boy behind to wait. As she entered the main house, her large blue eyes glanced over her eerily quiet surroundings while she tried to remember which way Shigure led her through before. Shrugging, she took the way her gut told her and began walking.

It took about fifteen minutes to find Akito's living quarters, and she was greeted there by a stern elderly woman, whose face curled into a sneer at the sight of her. Her sharp eyes immediately fell to Usagi's filthy feet, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Remembering her manners, the rabbit bowed and kept her head lowered as she spoke, "Sohma Ame, ma'am. I'd like to see Akito-sama."

"Not with your legs covered in dirt. Clean them, and I will inform the master of your arrival," the woman replied coldly, knowing she couldn't refuse the girl's request. Usagi ambled over to the water hose the elderly lady had directed her to, rinsing her legs in the painfully cold water before dashing back to the building and sliding her feet into the slippers waiting by the door.

At least fifteen minutes later, the woman returned and instructed Usagi to follow her to Akito's room. Walking slowly behind the woman's evenly placed steps, she almost felt suffocated by the silence that boxed her in from all sides. She neared the end of the hall, where the door she knew led to Akito slid open suddenly, and a man stepped out. He closed the door behind him and walked past them, sending her an even gaze that portrayed no emotion.

"Kureno-san," Usagi stopped, bowing in greeting. He gave her a short nod before continuing on his way, and she turned back toward the door, the other side as silent as the hallway she now stood in. Taking in a deep breath, she rested her hand on the door handle and slid it open. Subconscious took over as she walked across the room, settling onto her knees and bowing to Akito, her forearms pressed against the floor and face only inches away. She stayed this way for several moments before deeming it safe to rise, waiting quietly for Akito to address her first.

"Ame, you're back so soon?" His hands cupped her face, lifting her gaze from the floor to his eyes. She shivered at the look, the almost predatory gleam that highlighted his dark pupils, but her eyes stayed glued to his own. "Did you enjoy seeing your mother again?" Tears swam through her vision, but she blinked them back. '_I have to be strong._'

"Yes. It was very thoughtful of you, Akito-kun," Usagi replied, her voice calmer than she thought possible at the moment. The hands on each side of her face suddenly clenched, and she winced as his nails dug into her skin. He looked pleased by the pain that flashed through her blue eyes as they glazed with tears, and he released her. Without his hold supporting her, she slumped on her knees again.

"Why did you come here, Ame?" Akito asked with his eyes now out in the garden, watching the butterflies flutter around the soon to be blooming blossoms. Spring was almost here. Usagi watched the brief flash of emotion in the dark eyes that'd turned away from her, all the while pondering the question. Shigure entered her mind, Yuki, Hatsuharu, Momiji, even Kyou. She just wanted everything to be okay, for everyone to be happy.

"I can feel it, Akito-kun." He turned, regarding her once more with narrowed eyes. Without showing the hesitation she felt in her heart, her hand reached out to touch his, but he quickly jerked it away. "I can feel your loneliness, your pain. It makes me sad. It makes me hurt, too."

"Is that all you have to say?" Akito sneered, his eyes flashing dangerously. The tears fell freely from Usagi's eyes, and as he realized this, it seemed to catch him off guard. Why was she crying? "Are you just here to pity me?"

"No. There are dark sides to everyone, but I want to see your smile. I don't want you to be sad anymore. I want you to trust me, Akito-kun." Sitting up on her knees, Usagi leaned forward, reaching her trembling hands out toward his face. He shrunk away from her but she persisted, though her whole person shook with fear. Finally, her palms made gentle contact with the sides of his face.

Akito, too shocked to react, didn't resist as Usagi pulled him forward and placed her lips tenderly against his forehead. For a moment they both sat still, her warm breath brushing against his skin and her tears rolling off her chin, falling against his own cheeks. Something completely unreadable passed over his face, before his expression contorted into anger. His hand shot up, clenching her jaw and pushing her away from him.

She landed in a heap, but rose with her hands flat against the floor, supporting her weight. Her blue eyes met his angry, dark ones, full of pain, but full of longing, of hope. When she reached for him again, he appeared shaken, wondering why she still made an effort. Raising his hand, the back of it met with the side of her face, making the nearly healed bruise begin to swell again as she crumpled.

Undeterred, she sat up again and held her hand out in the space between them. Voice trembling, she began to speak, ever so softly, "I don't want to hurt you. I'd never hurt you intentionally, Akito-kun. You must have so much pain here," her other hand moved over her chest, where her heart lay, "I am always here. If there comes a time you think you want to let it out, even just a little, I will be here no matter what. If you need me, Akito-kun, I will be here to protect you with everything I have, because I love you."

Usagi watched as the anger slipped from Akito's features, replaced by nothing, an empty expression. Something about it made her scared and happy at the same time. She sniffled, aware that her nose was starting to run, and repeated her words. "I love you, Akito-kun."

Then suddenly, the sneer was back, the anger returned. Usagi winced as his hand descended on her sore face once more, but still she cried, "I love you Akito-kun!" With more strength than she thought he possessed, he stood and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her across the room while she tried her best to resist. She heard the door slide open forcefully, felt the pain as his fingers dug deeper into her arm, and the strange sense of vertigo as she was slung out into the hall. Feeling her ankle twist painfully, she cried out as her back hit the wall on the opposing side of the space.

The loud snap of the door sliding closed echoed around her as she cried pitifully, and she was sure she heard him crumple on the other side of the door. Swallowing down her own self loathing, she rose shakily to her feet again, moving toward the entrance. Before she got half across the narrow hallway, a warm hand gently encircled her arm, and she met a pair of eyes she'd seen not too long ago. Her voice wavering and sore from her tears, she croaked, "Kureno-san."

"You've done enough for today. Come," He turned and pulled her slowly down the hall, while sent a worried glance back at Akito's room.

"Kureno-san, Akito may be hurt. He used too much strength. We have to check on him," she protested, trying to pull him to a stop. He did stop, turning toward her with a stern look in his dark, dark red eyes. They reminded her of Kyou's, but much murkier.

"Just Kureno; Akito will be fine. It is time you leave," with that said, he continued to lead her away, escorting her all the way to the main gates before he turned around to return to Akito. Pausing, she blinked at the wooden gates before turning on her heel.

"Thank you, Kureno-kun!" She called, making him pause in his walk. He turned back toward her, his dark reddish hair falling into his eyes and hiding the glint of amusement that shone there as he nodded. Then he swiveled and continued onward, missing the soft smile that lit up Usagi's face. The blue eyed girl tested her sore ankle, but quickly concluded she hadn't broken nor sprained it; it was only a little sore.

Timidly she exited the gates, suddenly recalling the temperamental orange haired teen that waited for her on the other side and his parting words, '_Just don't get yourself hurt._' The throbbing of her cheek told her that her bruise was probably back full force. Not to mention the finger shaped bruises on her bare arms. She pulled the gate closed behind her, hearing the distinct footsteps behind her, and inwardly winced.

Usagi didn't even work up the courage to turn before hands were on her shoulders, spinning her around to meet gazes with a set of hostile red eyes. Chuckling nervously under his intense scowl, she flinched as he shouted, "You're so stupid! Why did I even let you go in there? I swear, now we've all gotta put up with that damn Yuki, not to mention Hatsuharu."

She let Kyou continue to rant, while the tears built up in her eyes again, and she finally interrupted him, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make everyone worry, but," she sniffled, "I reached him. It was only for a second, and it was gone so fast, but I seen it. For a moment, I saw a different part of Akito." Flinging her arms around him, she half cried into his shirt and half laughed. "I'm so happy."

Red spread across the cat's face, and he placed his hands on her shoulders once more, gently pushing her away. A moment of silence passed between them, Usagi wiping at her eyes, before Kyou said, "Let's go home and hear everyone whine. And don't think I forgot about force feeding you either, twiggy."

Slowly, her face spread into a wide, bright smile, her blue eyes crinkling, before she giggled. "Okay, as long as there's sugar involved."

**xXx**

Their return to Shigure's house was not what either expected. As soon as Usagi approached the door, she could hear loud shouts from the opposite side of it, and her brow crinkled with confusion. Without a second thought, she ran into the house, following the increasing volume of the voices until she made it to the kitchen, the same room she'd escaped from earlier that morning.

The scene hit her full force, as the shouting suddenly paused and the attentions of the room turned to her. She felt Kyou walk up behind her, but she ignored him, her blue eyes temporarily captivated. That look, that expression; fear squeezed her heart and as quickly as she intruded, she turned and ran away again. Kyou watched her leave, the horror shining clearly in her eyes, before he turned his own red pair to the people in the kitchen, one in particular.

Hatsuharu's sneer slowly faded, the spark of anger disappeared from his dark, chocolate brown eyes, his Black personality retreated back inside of him and he stared with something akin to disbelief at the spot where the silver haired girl had stood only moments before. A frown passed over his face, and he held up his hand when Yuki moved forward to follow her, shaking his head. "It's my fault. I'll go."

"You're the one who upset her, you shouldn't--"

"I said I'll go," Hatsuharu pressed, his voice flat as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the room. Kyou watched him go as well before he turned back to the remaining group in the kitchen. Yuki stood impassive, but there was still anger apparent in his violet eyes. Momiji looked upset, on the verge of tears, as did Tohru.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked. No one said anything for a moment, but it was Momiji who finally spoke.

"It was my fault. We were talking about Usa-chan, and then without thinking about it, I asked Haru about Rin. I guess all the stress of it finally made him snap, and he went Black." Momiji paused, sniffling, before he said, "Black Haru scares Usa-chan a lot. When we were little, and Haru used to go Black often, Usa-chan tried to interfere and get Haru to calm down. She got in the way, and he hit her on accident. Ever since then she's been petrified of Black Haru."

Meanwhile, Hatsuharu walked slowly down the path that led away from Shigure's house, listening carefully for any signs of Usagi. As he expected, she hadn't gotten too far before she collapsed, curled at the trunk of a large tree, sniffling. He walked over to her slowly, kneeling down beside her. As he extended his hand toward her, she flinched away from him, making him wince in return.

"I'm sorry. Don't be scared. Please," the tone of his voice seemed to jolt her, and she reached out, pulling him into a hug, which he readily returned, his sudden apprehension ebbing away. She closed her eyes, smiling as she did so.

"It's okay. Thank you for coming to find me, Haru-chan." When they pulled apart, his hand was on her face again, scowling at the dark mark that once again highlighted her cheek. Instead of looking guilty, her face broke into a smile of childish excitement.

"I did reach Akito-kun today. For a moment, he showed me that he did hear me. One day, Akito will be happy and everyone will love him, just like I do." A fondness shown in her dark blue eyes as she spoke, like a mother talking of her child. Though he was upset, Hatsuharu couldn't help but return the glimmering smile on her face, full of hope and affection.

"Well, right now you're hurt again and still too skinny, so it's back to the house. We've decided to tie you down and feed you until you're fat." Hatsuharu grinned, somewhat evilly as a pout came over Usagi's face. Then, she smiled suddenly, a mischievous glint flickering in her eyes as she said, "Like a cow?"

"I resent that."

**xXx**

Look at me! I've turned this story to nothing but angst and mushiness. (hugs tear-soaked pillow) But I love it. :) I know I promised meetings with Setsuna and more exciting monster fights but I decided to put it off until next chapter. The sudden desire to end the chapter here overwhelmed me, even though it's short. I hope I made you laugh at the end there.

For some reason, the thought of Kyou calling someone twiggy, much less saying the word at all made me burst out laughing. (Chibi Kyou runs around in circles saying "twiggy, twiggy, twiggy" while Sachi-chan rolls around in the background, laughing hysterically) But _anyway_, how'd you like Akito meeting number TWO! Eh? What about the sudden appearance of Kureno-kun! (roosters start running around in the background) x3

I'm hyper from sleep deprivation, forgive my mild psychosis. Nothing of Sailor Moon is mingling with the Sohmas for the moment, mmmkay? They are completely oblivious right now. I'll let you guess at who figures her out first, I already know! (insane authoress grin) I really do want to fulfill you guys' wishes and make Akito a good guy. My fingers were itching through the whole scene to write out Akito saying something cheesy like, "You're so right! Let's be best friends!" xD

The more I write, the harder it becomes to choose between Kyou-kun and Haru-chan. (cries) In the end, though, I'll probably go with Hatsuharu because, well...Kyou-kun gets too much spotlight! I mean, I love him to death too but there's a few Kyou/Usa pairings out there now, a single Hatori/Usa, I wrote a Shigure/Usa, there's a Momiji/Usagi out there that is never updated but still exists. (stares at Gackt-sama pointedly, even though she's probably not reading this), Yuki/Usa, Akito/Usa, pretty much every pair but I have yet to see her with Hatsuharu! So on that basis alone, plus the fact that they're just plain adorable in the story, I'll probably choose him. But I still feel so bad for Kyou, all alone on his lonesome.

Okay, I'm majorly rambling. Forgive me. I haven't the energy to reply to reviews right now, I have to leave for school and my dreaded AP Government exam. Please review anyway though, because I love you all. (wanders off muttering about a possible morbid love triangle threesome deal) Ponderous thought of the day, '_Could Usagi be shared?_' (runs off cackling evilly)

♥SachiNyoko♥


	13. Chapter 13

I'm too tired to proof read. Expect mistakes.

**xXx**

"You guys, if I eat any more I swear I'm going to throw up on Kyou-kun's shirt," they all gave her looks of disbelief, but Kyou took a discreet step back anyway. A glint of amusement shone in Usagi's blue eyes, but it didn't last, for the two hands on her shoulders still kept her firmly seated. The rabbit turned toward the door as Shigure walked in, and her face shone her hopeful plea. "Gure-chan save me!"

To her grave disappointment, Shigure burst into hysterical laughter at the sight presented to him; Hatsuharu and Kyou holding down a squirming Usagi, while Yuki tried to shove more food in her mouth. If only he hadn't used up all that film. After he calmed down a bit, however, he said reasonably, "Really, if you make her sick you'll only make the situation worse." For his efforts, he was nearly tackled as the grateful girl leapt from the kitchen table.

"Thank you, Gure-chan! Now I need a nap. Too much food," she patted her stomach with a frown, "I'll probably never eat ice cream again. What a pity." The silver haired girl disappeared from the kitchen, still muttering audibly to herself, even though she knew that particular resolve wouldn't last past the next day. A few minutes later, she fell into her pillows and openly welcomed sleep.

Several hours passed before she rose, achy and groggy. The return from the main house that morning passed in such a whirlwind, her mild but apparent injuries were just now catching up. Her back felt sore, sensitive, most likely from its violent contact with a wall. As she pulled the covers away, Usagi noticed with a groan that her ankle was swollen to an impressive size.

Still she got up, and walked slowly around her bedroom, until the pain of walking faded to a dull twinge. Changing into shorts and a tee shirt, she slipped a pair of socks on to hide her ankle and a pair of tennis shoes. She glanced in the mirror again, noticing the faint, crescent shaped marks on the side of her face where Akito's nails broke the skin. Pulling her silver hair in a ponytail, she let a few pieces fall around her face, effectively hiding them.

Walking downstairs, Usagi heard the muffled voices coming from the living room, so she turned and headed for the door. The thought of being outside felt very inviting at the moment, and the roof would be a good spot to observe the late evening scenery. When she opened the door to step out, however, she nearly ran into a figure standing in the entry way.

"Usagi, good. I need to speak with you." Setsuna dropped the hand she would've knocked with. Usagi tilted her head, not missing the underlying anxiousness in the woman's voice, and searched her expression with some confusion. They weren't exactly friends, Usagi didn't know the outer scouts half as well as the inners, and Setsuna presented the biggest enigma of all of them.

To see her looking so edgy made her feel that way as well. Regardless, she nodded and followed her through Shigure's yard, along the path that led into town. They stopped a little ways away, and let silence settle between them for a moment.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked, finally tired of the echo of birds being the only sound she heard. Setsuna turned and faced her, garnet hued eyes unreadable but not unemotional. So many different things ran through them that the rabbit couldn't sort through any of it.

"I have a confession, something you would've found out eventually, but I want you to hear it from me," Setsuna's voice was flat and calm, the same tone she always used, but her eyes still betrayed her. Plus the fact that Usagi could practically feel the turmoil and chaos of emotions radiating from her very being. She nodded, and gentle prod for her to continue. "Hatori is not the one who suppressed yours or Yuki's memories when you were a child. I used magic on both of you, to keep them buried until you saw each other again. I also put the glamour on you that made you look like Usagi Tsukino."

"What? Why?" Usagi found she could only utter these two words before her vocal chords sealed shut on her completely. Out of sheer reflex she took a step back, as if observing the time guardian from a further distance would make her understand. It did not.

"You have to understand, I did what was only necessary, because of my duty. If you hadn't been in Juuban, if you hadn't saved Luna from those kids and became Sailor Moon, the world would have been destroyed. I didn't have a choice." This time, Setsuna's voice held a bit of desperation. Usagi stood still, trying to comprehend everything at hand, trying to understand.

"It's okay," she finally muttered. The words held nothing behind them; not her usual lighthearted smile, or her careless laughter. The hands at her sides clenched into fists, her eyelids dropped closed, but still she repeated, "It's okay, Setsuna. I understand. Thank you for telling me yourself. Now, I think I should get back before they realize I'm missing."

"Yes, you're right," Setsuna nodded, though her eyes still looked torn with chaos. Usagi wished she could offer more comfort, but yet again news came that hit her very hard and she had to get away for a while. As she entered the yard again, though, Momiji immediately sprinted toward her, enveloping her in a hug.

"Usa-chan!" Despite his usual cheerful behavior, Usagi could tell he'd been worried about her, and she felt bad for leaving so abruptly. "We're all going to play a game! Tohru even got Kyou to play so we only need you. Come on!" Usagi smiled as the enthusiastic blonde boy dragged her back into the house.

**xXx**

"Are you staying the night again, Haru-chan?" Usagi looked up from her math homework with a smile, grateful for the distraction. After the several chaotic rounds of 'Dai Hin Min,' the first time she'd ever played, everyone went their separate ways. Seeing that she really had nothing else to do, the rabbit conceded to work on her dreaded homework. At least, she could relax fully tomorrow.

"Yeah," the white haired teen nodded as he flopped down lazily on her bed. Hatsuharu sat there, still under her amused gaze, before he sat up to look at her paper. In a flat voice, he told her, "They're both wrong."

Usagi turned back to the notebook paper and groaned; she'd only answered two. Her head dropped to the desk and she sighed, wishing she had Ami there to help her. At this rate, she'd flunk her math class horribly. Hatsuharu frowned and nudged her, making her sit up in the chair to look at him. "You should get Yuki to help you. He gets good grades."

"I wouldn't want to bother him," Usagi replied hesitantly, shrugging. Calmly, she erased the answers on her paper and recopied the problems. Sifting through her bag, she pulled out her notes to look over. A frown came to her face when she realized they made no sense. At the time, her mind had been focused on the weekend's movie night and the subsequent visit with Akito.

"I'm sure it wouldn't be a bother. What's wrong?" Hatsuharu asked. The question surprised Usagi, and she turned to him with her head tilted in confusion, inquiry. Still, he interpreted the silent question and went on, "You were distracted when you came back with Momiji. You aren't still upset about--"

"No, it's not that. Actually, you going Black didn't scare me quite as much as it used to. If we were kids, I'd still be avoiding you." A smile lit up her face before she turned back down to the math book, working through the problem slowly, step by step. Softly, she continued, "It's just, my friend Setsuna showed up and told me something... unexpected. It's really nothing. Is this right?"

Hatsuharu leaned over to glance at the paper again, before he shook his head negative, frowning as Usagi dropped her head in her hands with a sigh. Neither of them spoke for a moment, as the silver haired girl lowered her hands to her lap and stared at the problem on the paper desperately, as though waiting for it to solve itself. Finally, she said, "I'm scared."

Closing her math book, she tossed her pencil on the desk in defeat and pushed the homework away from her. Turning, her elbow propped on the desk and she rested her cheek against her hand as she looked at Hatsuharu. He did not move, but his brown eyes never left her face, showing clearly that he was listening.

"I'm scared of the pain. Of everyone around me, of everything that's happened, I'm scared that all the hurt will swallow me whole. Everyone here in the Sohma family, the ones affiliated with us, even Tohru-chan, they suffer so much so quietly. As I walk by them I can feel it, sense it; hear it like whispers in my ears. Some are so soft I can barely hear them, like Gure-chan's, and others are loud and screaming like Akito-kun's.

"I've pretended this has all been a dream, this whole time, and that my friends still remember who I am, that everything will be okay. I try to keep walking forward, I take every step so lightly so I do not step on anyone's heart, but quite suddenly I felt I've been standing on my own this whole time. This afternoon I was hit with something very hard, and it felt like all the lights around me had suddenly been shut off.

"I'm walking around in the dark, trying to save people from drowning, wondering if someday the weight will be too much and I will be dragged down myself. I've always been able to feel other's emotions very well, but I can't feel anything right now. I've heard so many hurtful words that I can even experience the pain that they should bring. I can't feel anything. I can't feel. I can't--"

Usagi couldn't go on. Hatsuharu pulled her close against him as the sobs drowned out her voice, and he held on as tightly as he could without hurting her. "Ame." She buried her face further into his shoulder, the sound of her old name stirring something inside her, something even more painful. "You can't fix everything. You've got to stop trying, because look at what it's doing to you."

"But I w-want," the rabbit paused, her tears and sporadic breathing overwhelming her speech, "I want everyone t-to be ha-happy."

"They can't. Not everyone wants to be happy." Usagi moved from her chair to the bed, next to Hatsuharu, and curled against him completely. The safety she felt in his presence she couldn't find anywhere else; not in her senshi, because they couldn't remember her, not in Mamoru, because he was gone from her, not even in her brother. So she stayed there, even after her cheeks dried completely, and let the soft sound of his heartbeat entrance her into sleep.

**xXx**

Rays of sunlight fell gently against Usagi's closed eyelids and her face screwed up into a frown. As she shifted her face into the pillow, an unexpected obstacle blocked her and her eyes slid open to observe. The silver haired girl jumped back slightly from reflex, before she remembered the previous night and calmed down. A smile touched her lips at the soft, vulnerable expression over Hatsuharu's face, in place of his usual stoic demeanor.

"Well, sleeping together two nights in a row, you young kids sure are rambunctious." Usagi's eyes jumped up, over Hatsuharu's head, to the figure of Shigure leaning against the door frame. An angry red flushed across her face as she sat up and shouted, "**SHIGURE!**"

The dog had been pelted with at least ten shoes before he escaped down the hall, chuckling despite himself as he slipped away into his study. Usagi still stood flustered in the open doorway, but she retreated inside and closed the door when Tohru poked her head into the hall, looking concerned. She turned back toward the bed, marveling that Hatsuharu still slept, when the knock came on the door.

"Usagi, are you okay? Your shoes are all over the hall..." The brunette girl trailed from the other side, and Usagi looked around nervously.

"Oh, um, I'm fine. I just, um, well last night I used my shoes to find my way through the hall. You know, it was dark," Usagi stopped, scorning herself for coming up with the most ridiculous lie she'd ever heard.

"Oh, okay..." Tohru said, still sounding a bit confused as she looked around at the shoes. Usagi sweatdropped, wondering if she was humoring her or if she actually believed that lie. "Maybe we should get night lights for the hall."

"Don't believe that stupid lie." Kyou's irritated voice echoed from the hallway next. The blue eyed girl could hear his agitated footsteps up to her door, and he shouted, "Hey you, don't yell so early in the morning. Come pick up your crap!"

His stomping left down the stairs, and Tohru padded after him after a moment or two, leaving Usagi to breathe a sigh of relief. She sauntered into the hall, picking up her scattered footwear and tossing back into her bedroom. Just as she got to the last few pair, Yuki stepped out of his bedroom dazedly, still half asleep. He looked over at her, and asked, "What are you..?"

"This is the product of Shigure bugging you early in the morning. Er, not like that," Usagi added hastily, realizing how that must sound with someone as perverted as Shigure. Yuki just continued to stare at her, somewhat dumbly, and she grinned. "Still not a morning person? Go downstairs, Tohru should be making breakfast."

He at least registered the comment, for he walked off toward the stairway. Usagi smiled and took her shoes back in her room, rearranging them in the closet silently. Then she grabbed a set of clean clothes from the dresser and headed for the bathroom.

Close to an hour later, she stepped from the steamy room in her jeans and tee shirt, a smile coming to her face. Her previously sore ankle felt worlds better, her back didn't hurt at all, and she was starved. For the first time in a while, her appetite hit her full force and she skipped downstairs toward the welcoming smell of breakfast. The only damper on her mood presented in the still angry bruise on her cheek.

As the rabbit entered the kitchen, she noted the silence before she plopped in a seat and reached for a plate. All eyes fell on her as she loaded it full and began inhaling everything at record speeds. The old Usagi started to shine through again.

"Tohru-chan," she started, between bites of egg. The brunette turned her head in inquiry, not even blanching at the fervor the silver haired girl ate with. "I was thinking that you and I should go shopping today. Girls only," she sent pointed looks at Yuki, Kyou, and Hatsuharu, who only stared. They obviously weren't insistent on tagging along.

"Oh, but," Tohru began sheepishly, pulling the pair of eager blue eyes back to her. "Well I don't have any money Usagi."

"It's my treat." Usagi replied instantly, winking. "I have a Sohma allowance that's been building up for nearly ten years. I think we should lighten the load a little bit. Come on, it'll be fun!" At the uneasy expression the brown eyed girl still wore, the rabbit decided to aim for a weakness. She pouted and said, "Unless you don't want to go with me Tohru-chan."

"Oh, no! Of course I'll go!" Tohru continued to ramble in her somewhat high pitched voice frantically, which made Usagi giggle.

"You're almost as bad as Shigure," Yuki said from the other side of the table, shaking his head as Tohru finally calmed down. The blue eyed girl grinned cheekily.

"Well, I did learn from him. Come, Tohru! We'll leave the boys to wash the dishes," Usagi stood and motioned for Tohru to come with her. With one last anxious glance back at the kitchen, the brunette followed Usagi out. The rabbit sprinted upstairs, grabbed her purse from the chest of drawers, and then sped back down to meet Tohru at the door. She made sure the card that Shigure had handed back over to her was in her wallet before they closed the door behind them.

As they walked along the path toward town, Usagi inquired on how Tohru came to live with the Sohmas in the first place. With rapt attention, she listened as Tohru told her story of her mother's death, of living in a tent on the Sohma property, of how Yuki and Shigure had found her out and invited her to stay. They'd reached the city by the time her story ended, leaving Usagi in a silent awe.

"Wow, Tohru-chan. That's amazing. No wonder you've had such an impact on everyone, you have an incredible spirit." Usagi smiled at the blush that highlighted the brown eyed girl's cheeks. They didn't go into it further, speaking only on lighthearted topics afterward. Stopping by the bank, Usagi handed over her card and inquired on the account balance. When she heard the number, her eyes gleamed.

"How much is it?" Tohru asked curiously as Usagi practically skipped over to her, standing near the door.

"Oh, let's just say we can both buy one of any outfit we could possibly want." Usagi grinned, and then went on, "I was thinking that everyone could go to the park next weekend together, and we could have picnic."

"That sounds wonderful," Tohru nodded happily. The blue eyed girl smiled at the well received idea, and thought for a moment.

"Well, we'll need a basket of course. We'll have to buy lots of lunch foods. I can't cook, but you're wonderful at it, and between the two of us I think we can manage. But first and foremost, we both get new dresses!" Usagi declared. "Summer dresses, too, it's about warm enough that we can wear them. We'll bring jackets just in case. In fact, they'll match!"

The silver haired girl rambled on until they reached the premium boutique street, to which she entered the closest store to them. Tohru followed along best she could while the rabbit ran around enthusiastically, before she finally came to a halt holding two dresses. Shoving one in the brunette's arms, she pointed at the dressing room and retreated to her own. After Usagi exited, she waited for a few moments for the other girl to emerge.

"Wow, Tohru, floral is so cute on you!" The girl blushed as soon as she opened the curtain, but couldn't close it again before Usagi pulled her out in front of the mirror. The dress, white, sported pretty red flowers all over it and thin over the shoulder straps, with a thick red band running just under the bust. The length reached respectably near her knees. As the silver haired girl stepped up beside her, Tohru smiled.

"Yours is pretty too, Usagi." Hers, also white, had thin red stripes going horizontally across it, with a thicker red band around the waist and thick red straps to hold it up. Usagi nodded her consent.

"Yes indeed, not a bad start, but not quite good enough. Change back!" They separated, and met again with the dresses in hand, which Usagi returned to the rack. They browsed the store a little more, and left without any purchases. In the next store, Usagi had Tohru try on a blue cami-style dress, to which she quickly declined. "Really cute, but you remind me too much of those creepy stalker girls at school."

The rabbit also tried on a ridiculous denim dress that made them both start laughing, and they ended up leaving another store empty handed. The next store, however, they struck gold in Usagi's eyes as Tohru stepped from the fitting room. She twirled in the thin strapped, crochet white dress. A line ran under the bust and the skirt was double layered, the top white with the dress and the bottom yellow that hung an inch or two longer, ending just above her knees. A yellow ribbon along the waist tied it together, coming to in a bow at the side.

Usagi rang up the dress and refused to let Tohru fuss over it, instead skipping along to the next store to find her own dress. The following store did not present it, but they both got a pair of white rimmed sunglasses and some white ballet flats. Usagi insisted her dress would be white too.

Lo and behold, she was right for she picked out her dress at the next and final store. She picked a white dress, similar to Tohru's, but not with two layers. Beads sequined into the fabric twinkled in the sunlight from the large windows of the store, and the straps were a bit thicker. Along the hem was a pretty embroidered design. Usagi rang up the dress and led them to a fast food restaurant for lunch. She ordered three cheeseburgers to Tohru's one, not to mention two large fries.

"Thank you Usagi. This was really fun. I've never really been on a shopping spree like that," Tohru smiled sheepishly across the table, sending a sideways glance at the bags piled in the booths beside them. The rabbit, already half way done with her first burger, waved her hand in dismissal.

"Really, it was nothing Tohru-chan. Like I said, I'm really grateful for everything you've done for Yuki and the others. This is nothing to compare to that, but still," enthusiasm shone in her eyes as she smiled, "The things you've done mean a lot to me, Tohru-chan, so if you ever need anything, please just ask."

"Oh, but I really haven't done anything and this is more than enough," Tohru protested, growing even more flustered to Usagi's amusement. As the silence settled over them, and the rabbit returned to shoving her burgers down her throat, she continued to send glances across the table. The brunette sipped distractedly at her soft drink, completely oblivious to the attention as she studied a mother and child having a French fry war. Something in her brown eyes looked nostalgic, a little sad, but still cheerful.

'_I wonder, is Tohru really that humble or does she just not see the impact she has on others?_' Usagi looked toward the ceiling thoughtfully, wiping her face with a napkin. '_Luna used to say I had an impact on people, but I never saw it. I mean, all the girls were already wonderful people, I just brought them to each other._'

"Usagi-chan," the new endearment brought a grin to the silver haired girl's face, and she nodded for Tohru to continue. She turned from the two she was watching to look her in the eyes, "What should we make for the picnic?"

"Odango!" she cheered, laughing, "My Okaasan used to make really good odango. Lemon pie, too, her lemon pie is heavenly. Anyway, sandwiches are a must for any picnic, but they should be cut in triangles. Something about sandwiches being shaped like triangles makes them more delicious."

"My Okaasan used to say the same thing (**1**)," Tohru said, smiling fondly. Usagi returned the smile full force.

"Hmm, we should also have rice balls." The rabbit chatted animatedly as she continued to list off things they could make for their planned picnic. Tohru listened attentively, laughing at times and contributing her own ideas until the two girls left the fast food restaurant.

**xXx**

"We should've asked the boys along after all. Oi, help!" The loud, zealous voice of Usagi echoed around the quiet halls of Shigure's home. The silver haired girl made her plea sound more urgent than necessary, apparently, for both Yuki and Kyou sprinted to the entrance hall to make sure neither girl bore injury. The sight that met them instead proved much more comical.

"What the hell is all this?" Kyou asked, feigning indifference over his amusement at the two girls weighed down with grocery bags. Yuki moved forward first, relieving the winded Tohru of her bags, but Usagi had to glare to get the cat moving.

"I'll tell you later, just go to the kitchen," the rabbit responded, leading the way down the hall. Her sandals smacked loudly against the kitchen linoleum as she walked across the room, depositing her armful of remaining bags on the counter. The other three teenagers trailed her in and followed suit, dropping bags on counters, tables, and even the floor in Kyou's case.

"Now, Tohru and I have taken the liberty of planning a picnic next weekend. So if you have anything scheduled, cancel it. This is all the food. I'll tell Haru and Miji tomorrow at school, and I'm going to invite Hotaru. Also, Shigure, Hatori, and yes, even Ayame." Usagi smiled blissfully through the looks she received from Yuki and Kyou at the mention of the last name on her list.

"Um, can I invite Hiro and Kisa?" Tohru asked from the refrigerator door, where she was putting groceries away. Usagi jumped to help her, and nodded enthusiastically at her request.

"The tiger and the sheep, right? I haven't met them properly yet myself. But Tohru-chan, you can invite anyone you want! It's our event, not just mine!" She replied, placing items in the cupboards as she spoke.

"Don't invite the psychic and the Yankee." Kyou said cryptically from the table. He apparently saw no reason to help them put everything away, as displayed in his lack of interest. Tohru, as per her personality, became mildly panicked at his statement.

"But that would hurt Uo-chan and Hana-chan's feelings."

"You can invite them. Kyou's not a conspirer so he gets no say in the matter." Usagi said in an attempt to calm the brunette down. To a degree it proved successful, but Tohru still looked worried as she sifted through the last bag. Yuki settled into a glaring match with Kyou, but they avoided any actual arguing under the blue eyed girl's jagged gaze. It promised hell should they upset Tohru further.

"Oh, Usagi, Haru told me you were having trouble with your math assignment. I could help you if you want," Yuki turned away from Kyou, finally, and toward his younger sister. The shorter girl flushed with embarrassment, her eyes growing wide with his statement. For a moment she looked upset, but the look disappeared quickly.

"Well, it's really no big deal, I can figure it out." Usagi answered. She followed along behind Tohru, fetching things from the fridge so she could prepare dinner and trying to avoid any further conversation on the matter.

"He also said you would say that," Yuki said. After Kyou left the room, deeming the conversation of no further interest to him, the amusement showed clearly in his violet eyes. The rabbit turned to him with a distinct frown over her expression.

"Did he also say how I was going to kill him tomorrow for meddling? Because I was thinking of a hard blow to the head with a blunt object, like my math book for instance," Usagi couldn't stay annoyed for very long. Yuki started laughing, and she couldn't stop the image that came to her head. The brief flashes of the past, back to when he used to laugh often, assailed her and she had to blink at her sudden tears. She hid them easily behind a grin, thinking that maybe between Tohru and herself, they could bring the old Yuki back.

"I really will help you. It doesn't bother me or interfere with anything I'm doing, which apparently is the reason you wouldn't ask me to begin with." Another smile crossed the rat's face as he watched Usagi's expression turn to horror. Her fist met the counter in outrage.

"Okay, before it was a joke, but now I really am going to kill that stupid cow!" The cry sent them all laughing, even Usagi, who despite her grievances couldn't help but be thankful to Hatsuharu once again.

**xXx**

(**1**) I have no idea; I just will take liberties here because Tohru so often refers to her mother. So this is not something her mother truly said, mmmkay?

I wanted to keep going. Seriously. But I feared I might write a 20,000 word chapter all the way to the end of the story. Not that you guys would mind, eh? But I have so much on the brain for what's coming up. Next chapter I promise will bring us back around to school and more neurotic fan girls. Not to mention that youma I've been promising that I've failed to reach yet again.

But, Usagi and Tohru bonding! I love Tohru to death, so she will become a bigger character in the story from now on. Some people were inquiring about Kyou and Kagura as to me saying Kyou would be all his lonesome. Well, let's just say there are very few characters in the Furuba series I don't like, and Kagura is one of them. She just rubs me the wrong way and I definitely don't support that pairing. So I'm sorry if you do.

Also, Akito stays male. There's also no possibilities of Akito/Usagi in this story. I'm focusing on rehabilitation. I'm sorry I didn't consider the anime fan base instead of manga. **Kureno** is the rooster to the zodiac, and he's sort of like Akito's personal assistant/servant. Uotani meets him at one of her jobs and, like, falls in love with him. Yeah.

**Rin **is the horse of the zodiac, and she had a relationship with Hatsuharu. However, Akito got a hold of her and beat her black and blue, so she told Haru that they were through and she didn't need him any more. She was just doing it to protect him, so the same wouldn't happen to him, but I still find it hard to forgive her for it. I mean, poor Haru, being told 'I don't need you any more.'

So hopefully I've cleared that up. I refuse to ramble here anymore, please send me your pretty reviews. I mean, look at this huge, by my standards, chapter. I don't know how soon I'll update anything; I'm obsessively watching the FIFA World Cup. :)

♥SachiNyoko♥


	14. Chapter 14

Biting gently on her bottom lip, Usagi's hesitant eyes jumped from the tiled bathroom floor to the object of her foreboding. The inanimate, completely impartial entity stared back up at her, unmoving as expected. The teenager exhaled, and finally placed one foot on the object, doing a half hop to hoist the other foot after it. The thick red pointer stood still as the dial spun, a blur of black and white, and finally stopped.

'_101,_' she said aloud in her subconscious, a smile of relief spreading brightly across her face. The cookie binge of yesterday apparently helped boost her weight to the gained five pounds, and she cheerfully adjusted her hair in the mirror before exiting the bathroom, already in school uniform. Pausing, she poked her head back in the bathroom to observe the now vague bruise on her cheek bone. She'd borrowed Kyou's bruise cream the previous day, and it'd worked wonders.

Stopping once more in her room to grab her school bag, Usagi met Tohru and Kyou down stairs at the front door. The three walked to school evenly paced, Usagi and Tohru chatting amiably about the upcoming picnic weekend while Kyou stayed silent, occasionally rolling his eyes at their fervor. When they reached Kaibara High, Tohru turned toward the younger girl with a pleasant smile.

"Usagi-chan, would you like to meet my friends Hana and Uo?" The brunette asked, "We have some time before school starts."

Forgetting she had to track down Hatsuharu and beat him up, or that she had to meet up with Hotaru to ask about the picnic, the blue eyed girl grinned and nodded enthusiastically. These important matters were replaced by desire to meet Tohru's infamous friends, scope out her brother's class, and more importantly, the 'Prince Yuki' Fan Club she had yet to meet. How wonderfully things worked out sometimes.

Kyou didn't harbor any objections, or none that he vocalized, he just continued to walk along behind the two girls through the halls of the school. Usagi bounced, or rather hopped along beside Tohru, excited as a kid headed to the candy store. The closer they got to the older girl's class, the rabbit suddenly noticed, the thicker the horde of females grew. Girls from every grade, some she recognized from her very own class.

A devilish grin spread across the short girl's face as she finally spotted the crown of silver hair through the crowd, and the expression made the ever observant Kyou more than a little uneasy. Before he could say something to restrain her, the temptation to cause chaos grew too much for Usagi to suppress, and she sprinted through the crown, knocking several people aside.

"**YUKI-KUN!**" Dead silence reigned through the length of the hall as the silver haired blur shot out of nowhere and launched at Yuki, landing piggy back style on his back. Usagi tightened her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall and smiled cheekily at the wave of hateful glares that crashed over her. She did feel bad for her sibling however, as he turned deepening shades of red in embarrassment.

"_How dare you!_" The shrill cry brought Usagi's blue eyes to a tall girl on the left. Most girls knew and revered her in the school as Motoko, senior and leader of the Prince Yuki Fan Club. The silver haired girl ignored her completely, turning the girl scarlet with anger, as she climbed off of Yuki, to his relief.

"Good morning, 'niisan. I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me with my math." Usagi could barely finish the sentence before she collapsed in hysterics. If Motoko had been all shades of red before, she was now the complete opposite; as white as a sheet. The multitude of Prince Yuki worshippers held an identical expression, and the sight was too much for the rabbit to bear.

Yuki shook his head, but one could detect the amusement in his features, and Kyou's too once you looked past the rolling eyes and annoyed muttering. In the doorway of the nearest classroom, another girl was laughing now, this one tall and blonde. Usagi, still flushed with laughter, turned toward her and the girl at her side. She knew instantly that the two must be Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani, the two notorious friends of Tohru.

The brunette had already taken to introducing them, "Hana-chan, Uo-chan, this is Usagi Sohma. Usagi-chan, this is Uotani and Hanajima, my friends."

"Yuki's younger sister, eh? I think I like her already. Great stunt," the praise from Uotani brought a grin to Usagi's face. The alarm of the crowd transformed into whispers and murmurs as she turned toward the dark haired girl, whose expression remained completely neutral.

"She has pleasant dark waves," the statement was directed at Tohru, and it perplexed Usagi somewhat, but she didn't have time to ponder it. The bell sounded, turning the silver haired girl pallid, and she ran down the hall screaming, '_I'm late!_'

She nearly ran headlong into her teacher as she crossed the classroom threshold. He looked down at her annoyed, while she muttered a winded apology and settled into her usual seat by Hotaru. Their instructor lazily took attendance and left them to their own devices for the rest of homeroom. Usagi immediately turned to her indigo eyed friend.

"Hotaru-chan! We're having a picnic this Saturday and you have to come." She spoke the words in one breath and waited for Hotaru to respond. The obsidian haired girl blinked a few times, processing the statement, before she nodded and smiled.

"Of course."

**xXx**

"_Haru-chan,_" The white haired teenager turned, his bland expression not faltering the slightest, even under Usagi's angry tone. He simply looked down at her, the difference in their height taking a chunk off the intimidation factor, and waited for her to say something further. Instead, she balled her hand and punched him in the arm, though not very hard. "You're really a jerk, you know; even though I did get an A on my math homework."

"You look better. Still skinny, but not a stick," Hatsuharu completely ignored her statement and veered subjects, much to the rabbit's exasperation. Usagi lost her hair tie during gym just before lunch, and she pushed the stray hair from her face in annoyance as she followed the now retreating ox toward the roof top. Her pace slowed as her thoughts wandered, and soon he walked quite a distance ahead of her.

Suddenly, someone placed a hand against her shoulder and startled the poor girl so badly she jumped against the nearby wall. The hand belonged to a boy, a couple years older than her and a senior judging by appearance, who looked thoroughly amused at her reaction. His dark hair fell carelessly around his darker eyes, and he stepped forward, placing his hand on the wall by her head. He leaned in closer, his mischievous grin close to her contorted expression.

"Hey, Usagi, right? I'm Akira." The grin on his face made him look quite attractive, but Usagi wished he wasn't so close. She couldn't back away or move around him and risk transforming. "You're pretty cute. What do you say to a date on Saturday?"

"I say no. I have plans." The blue eyed girl attempted to plaster a cheeky smile on her face, but it felt strained. She tried to locate Hatsuharu down the hall, but he was clearly gone. Akira didn't take the news too well, either, by the frown that replaced his previous grin.

"What kind of plans?" Usagi, fed up, prepared her vocal chords for chewing this guy to pieces. However, the loud thud on the wall next to her startled her, and she lost her words. The boy and she both looked over at the fist that'd connected with the wall rather violently, then the rage filled face attached to it.

"Back off," with enough venom to make anyone shiver, the boy needn't be told twice. He backed up and walked swiftly away, leaving Usagi alone to sigh with relief and smile at her savior.

"Thanks, Kyou-kun."

"You and Tohru both, I swear. Where's the stupid ox, anyway?" Kyou grumbled, sticking his hands into his pockets roughly and continuing his walk toward the roof. Usagi sped her stride to keep pace, and walked contentedly beside him, smiling to herself. Kyou said nothing for a moment, then he turned to her and said shortly, "What's that look for?"

"Oh nothing," she replied, still smiling. "I was just thinking how valiantly you saved me; like a knight in shining armor." Her smile morphed into a grin at the desired result; a streak of red across the taller boy's cheeks. They stepped through the door to the roof, where everyone else was already assembled with their lunches.

**xXx**

As Usagi conversed with Hotaru in their last class, ten minutes before the bell freed them from school, she felt something collide with the side of her head. Perplexed, she turned toward the small, triangular folded piece of paper that now rested on the floor by her desk. Hotaru sent her an inquiring glance, but she could only shrug as she unfolded the triangle and smoothed the page flat.

A frown touched her face as she glanced to the left, two desks over and back at the paper in her hands. The ebony haired girl in front of her, twisted in the desk so they were face to face, grew tired of waiting and plucked the note from Usagi's hands. Her eyebrows rose, then crinkled, before she broke out in a mirthful smile and placed the paper back on her friend's desk.

"The second today," Usagi grumbled. She scribbled a 'no' on the paper, balled it up, and threw it two desks over. Then she remembered that particular subject hadn't been brought up during lunch so she relayed the story of Kyou's valiant rescue to the waiting Hotaru.

"If you aren't careful," the violet eyed girl paused to laugh as she thought of Yuki's crazed fan club, "they're going to start calling you 'Princess'."

"Oh ha ha," Usagi rose from her desk as the bell rang and followed the still giggling Hotaru from the classroom. The two girls parted ways at the school gates, and Usagi spotted Tohru amongst the crowd. She rushed over, greeting the brunette enthusiastically, and then volunteered to walk her to work.

Close to an hour later, Usagi entered Shigure's home, making sure to slide her shoes off. The dark haired man nearly had a heart attack when he'd walked into the kitchen the previous day and saw her sandal clad feet on his linoleum. Now in her socks, she walked down the oddly quiet corridor and up the stairs to her bedroom, dropping off her school bag. Glancing in the mirror over her dresser, she decided to change out of her uniform as well.

The silver haired girl descended the stairs again in a pair of jeans and an old Sailor V tee shirt, still slightly uneasy at the stillness of the house. '_I wonder...I know Yuki didn't have any after school activities today. Kyou's probably on the roof, but I thought Haru and Miji might come over._' Her mind quickly traveled to the donuts she'd hidden in the cupboard, and she shrugged off all other thoughts as she anticipated their jelly filled goodness.

Those stray thoughts returned, however, as Usagi stepped into the kitchen. Momiji jumped from his chair enthusiastically and gave her a hug, which she returned as her eyes took in the rest of the kitchen. Kyou leaned against the counter, his arms crossed and eyes closed, and Hatsuharu sat at the table, his chin rested in his hand as he stared at the wall with blatant boredom. Only Yuki returned her gaze, a slight smile over his otherwise troubled expression.

"Usagi-chan!" Momiji finally released her, his cheerful demeanor persistent as he led her over to the table. She willingly followed, and wondered why everyone was gathered here in the kitchen barely talking. In fact, she bet the most conversation came from the hyperactive rabbit at her side, but still wondered why they'd been so quiet when she came home a few minutes ago.

"Where have you been?" Hatsuharu asked next, finally tearing his chocolate brown eyes from the wall and to Usagi's face as she sat down. This looked to present a point of interest for everyone, as they all turned their eyes to her for an answer.

"Um, I walked Tohru-chan to work. Then I walked here. Have you been waiting for me?" Usagi meant the question for everyone, but she directed it across the table at Hatsuharu. He nodded, awkwardly given that his hand still held up his chin. "For what?"

"I think you should get transferred to our class," the white haired teen announced, inclining his head toward Momiji to explain the 'our.' Usagi already got that point, but she gave him a perplexed expression at the proposal. Her dark blue eyes looked over to Yuki, whose expression was unreadable, Momiji who looked anxious, and Kyou who appeared uneasy.

"Why?" A pause, while Usagi kept her confused eyes on Kyou, until it finally occurred to her. "You told them what happened." She turned back to Hatsuharu, "I don't need you to look after me. Besides, what about Hotaru? I don't want to leave her alone."

"She can transfer with you," Momiji suggested happily, looking genuinely excited, "Then all four of us could be together!"

"Look, just because two guys asked me out--"

"Two?" Yuki raised his eyebrows at her, and Usagi flushed, realizing that was probably the dumb thing to say. She fidgeted in her seat, but remained defiant.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not stupid and I'm not going to transform. I don't see any reason I should transfer classes."

"If you really don't want to," Yuki relented. Usagi smiled widely and stood, walking over to the cabinets to dig out her donuts. As such, she missed the grave frown on Hatsuharu's face and Kyou leaving the room. Momiji joined her in wolfing down jelly filled donuts and laughing at their puffed out cheeks as they chewed.

**xXx**

"That was not nice." Kyou turned as the crown of silver hair appeared over the edge of the roof, followed swiftly by the rest of the silver haired girl with a less than pleased expression on her face. Still, she took her time in crawling across the roof so she wouldn't slip and plummet to the ground. Finally, she settled next to Kyou and faced him with a frown, "Why did you have to go and tell Yuki and Hatsuharu, anyway?"

"I didn't mean to. It sort of slipped." Usagi observed the red eyed teenager skeptically, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. For a moment she stayed quiet, and then she laughed. He raised his eyebrows, clearly confused at the behavior.

"Kyou-kun, that's silly." The rabbit explained, still chuckling. She turned back to look at him, the laughter still shining in her eyes, "If that's true then I guess I can forgive you."

**xXx**

**You've reached the office of Hatori Sohma. Leave your message. (Beep)**

_Hatori-san it's, um, Ame. Er, we're planning a picnic this Saturday at one of the Sohma summer homes and it would be great if you could come. Shigure and Ayame are coming, and, well, please come! (click)_

**Hello lovely caller! You've reached the fabulous, the glamorous, the absolutely wonderful Ayame! (rustling in the background) Of course, if you could see my pose you would agree! Oh, if this is Tori-san, the picture is in your second drawer so you can stop panicking! (laughter) If this is Yuki, brother dearest, you're calling! I have too tell Tori-san right away. Mine, get the ce-- (Beep)**

_(laughing) Aya! It's Usagi. Gure-chan warned me you never check your messages, but I hope you do this time! We're all going to a summer house this weekend for a picnic, so I hope you can come. (click)_

**HELLO? Oh I'm so SORRY I'm not here right now. I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I apologize! I APOLOGIZE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR NOT BEING HOME WHEN YOU SO GRACIOUSLY CALLED ME! (Beep)**

_Oh Ritsu-kun! It's Ame. I haven't been to see you, so I'm the rude one this time! I'm very sorry! To make it up to you, I'd hoped you would come along with us to one of the summer homes this weekend. We're all going to have a picnic. I've heard you already met Tohru-chan! Please, please come, Ritsu-kun! (click)_

**xXx**

Ha. Short chapter packed with my own personal humor. I wonder if it's actually funny? Picnic!

♥SachiNyoko♥


	15. Chapter 15

"Ah, fresh air!" Stretching her arms toward the sky, Usagi smiled into the setting sun and bounced from foot to foot in excitement. The orange glow ricocheted off the ocean, and danced in synch with the slight waves. She pulled the hair tie from her ponytail and let the silver strands fall down her shoulders before she turned toward the brunette girl at her side. "Tohru-chan, isn't it wonderful?"

"Oh, yes," Tohru nodded enthusiastically. The two of them looked out from the small balcony of their shared room, to the sea that rippled softly in the wind. Hotaru also shared their room, but she was in the shower at the moment. The living arrangements would switch around when everyone else arrived in the morning, including Hanajima and Uotani. In the end, with everyone coming, they had to rent two of the Sohma houses.

"I'm so excited, Tohru-chan. Do you think it's better if we start making things tonight with so many people coming?" Usagi smiled bright, her eyes dancing with anticipation. Tohru nodded in response, her face spreading into a smile as well. The two girls went back inside the room, sliding the glass door closed behind them, and headed downstairs.

When they entered the kitchen, they found Kyou seated at the table, his homework spread out around him. Yuki stood in front of the fridge, looking through the contents for something. Shigure sat across from Kyou, reading the paper. The whole room, oddly enough, rang deathly quiet. No one argued, or spoke at all for that matter. It unnerved a certain rabbit.

"Hey, what's with all the doom and gloom? This is supposed to be a fun-filled, action packed adventure slash vacation!" Usagi declared indignantly, and a bit too loudly, pumping her fist in the air. The three looked over at her, mixed expressions, and went back to their previous activities.

The blue eyed girl looked over Kyou's shoulder while Tohru started pulling ingredients from the cupboards, and the refrigerator once Yuki moved. "Whatcha doing, Kyou-kun?"

"Homework," was the one word reply. Usagi frowned, before reaching around him and slamming the book closed. The cat's left eye twitched before he yelled, "What did you do that for?"

"No homework until Sunday night! That goes for you too, Oniisan." The silver haired girl walked back across the kitchen and started on the sandwiches, while Tohru started making riceballs. "As previously stated, this is a vacation, fun only. Kyou-kun, will you help me make sandwiches?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Kyou grumbled, glaring at his now closed textbooks.

Usagi frowned, but then smiled deviously before she answered, "Because you'll be eating these sandwiches tomorrow. If you leave it to me who knows what'll happen."

Shigure laughed into his newspaper as Kyou bolted from his seat to the counter at record speed. Hotaru joined them several minutes later, hair already blow dried, and accompanied Tohru with the rice balls. The two girls giggled at the grumbling Kyou while Usagi scolded him for making the sandwiches wrong.

"Kyou-kun, everyone knows the cheese goes on the mustard. It's because they're both yellow." The silver haired girl said matter-of-factly. Hotaru burst out laughing, earning a reproachful look from her friend.

"Usagi, that makes no sense at all." The ebony haired girl gasped between laughs. Usagi pouted, but continued making sandwiches at an even pace while eyeing Kyou to make certain he followed her advice. The group managed to finish most of the lunch before they decided to turn in for bed, and the three girls returned to their room.

The blue-eyed girl lay awake for what felt like an eternity before she heard Hotaru's breathing even out on the bed beside her. As gently as possible, she slipped from under the covers and placed both feet into her bunny slippers. With a glance at Tohru's bed, she perceived the older girl also sleeping and padded out of the room.

A tender smile touched her lips as she recognized the nightlights plugged in the outlets along the hallway. The very same that Tohru bought and lined the hall with at Shigure's house after the crazy shoe incident. '_She must have packed them and brought them along._'

Now, they proved useful, and led Usagi easily down the unfamiliar stairs. As she expected, a strip of light stretched out from under the summer home's office door. A brief spell of apprehensive nausea hit her, but she shook it off easily and rapped softly on the entrance.

"Come in," Shigure's voice commanded from the other side, slightly muffled through the wood. Usagi turned the doorknob slowly and let herself in, squinting slightly against the suddenly bright light. The door clicked quietly when she closed it behind her, and without hesitating, she joined Shigure on his side of the desk, settling on her knees aside his chair. "What brings you here?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you." The teenaged girl spoke easily, her large blue eyes fixed directly on his dark pair. They remained diverted to whatever project lay across the desk.

"You haven't talked to Yuki yet, as I recall." Usagi now turned her eyes to the floor in shame. She fidgeted with the hem of her pajama top at a length while Shigure continued with his work.

"Well, that's because," when the silver haired girl looked up, she realized that the dog had now placed his pen down and turned in her direction, ready to listen to her fully. "Okay, so I'm just scared. Yuki is so different, Gure-kun. It's like when we were kids, we needed each other, and now he doesn't need me at all anymore."

"Is it a bad thing?" Shigure asked, tilting his head at her slightly. She responded with an enthusiastic shake of the head, tousling her already messy hair.

"Of course not. I'm very happy for him." Suddenly, her train of thought shifted, and she snatched up the envelope on the desk with the words 'One Hour Photo' printed along the side. "What are these?"

Without waiting for Shigure to answer, Usagi pulled the pictures out and began to flip through them. All of them looked to be snapped at a most inopportune moment for the subject, what the dark haired man frequently dubbed blackmail, and they were all doubled. "Why are they all doubled?"

"You always need backups." He grinned as she turned her dark blue eyes on him. She, conversely, appeared amused as well.

"You keep them in the same place, though?" The question, inattentive to her expectancy, didn't relinquish the grin spread over the older male's face in the least.

"I never said I only made doubles. You just assumed." Usagi rolled her eyes, her smiled wider than ever, when she stopped on a familiar image. At least, to her now, but her mind chimed that it wouldn't have been even imagined several years earlier.

It was the picture Shigure took in Yuki's room a while ago. Said boy looked a mixture of annoyed and amused as Ayame kept a firm grip on his shoulder, preventing his escape and laughing enthusiastically. She stood to the left, looking slightly dazed from being pulled over seconds before by her oldest brother.

Usagi burst out laughing at the sight, pulling the picture from the rest of the stack and smiling. "I'm taking one of these, since you seem to have so many extras anyway."

"That was supposed to be blackmail," Shigure pouted, earning a quirked eyebrow from the younger girl.

"Uh-huh. The only one you may be able to blackmail with this is Yuki, you know. Aya will probably want one too." Placing the single picture in her lap, she continued to flip through them, not stopping again until she reached another recognizable batch. A laugh quirked the ends of her mouth as she imagined Shigure hovering right over them, snapping pictures enthusiastically.

Still, she plucked another picture from the stack and held it closer to her face, a smile stretching over her lips. In the photograph, she and Hatsuharu were sleeping on the couch, arms and legs tangled together. Both still asleep, her face was pressed against his shoulder and his into her hair.

Usagi also pulled the picture of Yuki, Tohru, and Momiji sleeping against the couch, Tohru's head on Yuki's shoulder, his head resting on her head, and Momiji's head in her lap. Shigure simply watched as she stole his pictures, taking another of the sleeping Kyou before giving him a strange look.

"Why'd you take a picture of Hotaru?"

"You never know when you'll need to blackmail someone," he chided in a singsong voice, making Usagi roll her eyes at him. With a grin, he added, "Plus, she was cute."

"Pervert," she admonished, even if it was true. The ebony haired girl in the photo was curled into a ball, sucking her thumb. "Now this may actually be blackmail material. Although I doubt Kyou would want everyone to see him with that adorable look on his face either, as opposed to the usual scowl."

Usagi beamed at the orange haired boy with the slight smile of his face before she covered it with Hotaru's picture and realized that was the end of the stack. As she placed them back in the envelope, a semi-glare covered her features, and she aimed it at Shigure.

"You changed the subject on purpose. I came to talk to _you_." Putting the pictures back on the desk, she crossed her arms and continued to give him her most menacing look. In all reality, it didn't prove to be very menacing at all.

"You're the one who took the liberty of snooping through my stuff and stealing all my blackmail." Shigure pointed out. This didn't defer the look on Usagi's face.

"Only because of what you said about Yuki in the first place," she protested.

"Alright, alright, you got me. What is it?" Shigure conceded. They both went quiet for a moment as the mirth drained from Usagi's face. She brought her eyes to the pictures in her lap, and finally back up to him.

"How's Rin?" Her blue eyes clouded with guilt, easily discernable on her usually smiling face. That wasn't the question he'd been expecting, obviously, for his eyes widened slightly. "You know I could never ask Hatsuharu."

"She's," he began, the sobriety returning to his eyes. For a moment, he looked to be reminiscing on recent events, so Usagi remained quiet while he thought. "She isn't so good. Her health is getting worse."

"She still has stomach ulcers?" The silver haired girl asked softly, her blue eyes finding her hands again. At Shigure's affirmative, she silenced, but he knew that she was struggling to say something more, so he waited patiently. "What," she started, her voice throaty with emotion, "What happened with her and Hatsuharu, Shigure?"

"I think," the dog looked at her, now staring up at him earnestly, and a slight frown came across his face, "that's something you need to ask Hatsuharu. It's not my place to tell you."

"I can't," she responded, barely a whisper. "It would only hurt him. I can't ask him to tell me just because I selfishly want to know."

The abrupt motion of Usagi grabbing his hand didn't startle him much. Neither did the anxious look in her eyes, because he had a strong inkling to what she was about to ask him next.

"Shigure," the fact that she abandoned his nickname let him know that his inclination of her question was in fact right. He had plenty of time to brace himself. "Do you still feel the same as you did back then?"

"Ame," Shigure began, but Usagi interrupted before he could say anything else.

"Don't, Shigure. Just a yes or no is all I need." Silence settled in between them. Usagi fixed Shigure with her most piercing of gazes, searching every flicker of his eyes for her answer. He didn't have to say anything before she knew, and she placed his hand against her cheek with the tears already welling.

"How long have you...?" Shigure couldn't bear to finish the question.

"Not long enough, Shigure."

**xXx**

"**USA-CHAAAN!**"

"**AHH!**"

"Why did you send Momiji to wake her up?" Kyou grumbled from his seat at the table. Yuki, the target of this question, shrugged, his expression suggesting a lapse of sanity in the matter. Momiji bounced down the stairs moments later, followed by a slightly twitching Usagi. She ate a quick breakfast, grabbed Tohru by the arm, and bee lined toward the stairs again.

"The guests will be here at eleven-thirty and we'll head down to the beach for our picnic at twelve. See you then!" The silver haired girl dragged Tohru all the way back to their room, where Hotaru waited eagerly, three dresses spread out on one of the Queen beds. Usagi had gone with Hotaru after school to buy her a new picnic dress as well, hers in a light lavender.

"It's already a quarter past eleven so we have forty five minutes to get ready." The ebony haired girl informed. Usagi grinned deviously as she placed the appropriate dress in Tohru's hands and pointed toward the bathroom. When the brunette girl stepped out, the two looked highly pleased as they told her the hairstyle they chose.

"I think you'll look perfect with wavy, but not quite curly, hair. Don't you?" They all changed into their dresses, and took turns fixing each other's hair. Deciding the wavy for Tohru, they went all out in thick, Goldilocks-style ringlets in Usagi's silver hair and a simple braid for Hotaru's long black tresses.

By the time they finished up, they could hear the bustling and murmurs of conversation from downstairs. So they headed down the hall for the stairs, planning to be discreet as possible, when Hotaru made a strange face that caused Usagi to collapse in hysterics. When she finally composed herself, everyone below was aware of and anticipating the girls' descent.

Usagi entwined hers and Tohru's arms together on the left side, motioned for Hotaru to do the same on the right, and the three girls went down the stairs arm in arm, trying desperately to suppress their giggles. As the silver haired girl brought her attentions to the small crowd of people below, her sparkling blue eyes instantly met chocolate brown.

She felt her heart screech to a halt, and then restart at a million miles an hour. Something different about the slight smile on his face or the reverence in his eyes that, right in that moment, focused solely on her, but she couldn't control herself. '_Oh please, it's just Haru. You've known him since boys had cooties_.'

Still, so caught up in the moment, Usagi missed the interaction that passed between Tohru and Yuki, and neglected to inventory who came and who didn't. Before she could speed across the room and perhaps do something rash, her attention diverted when Ritsu yelled something loud enough to raise the dead. With carefree laughter, she greeted her friend and managed to calm him down without using Shigure's trusty finger poke.

"Ritsu-kun, I'm so sorry I didn't call you sooner," Usagi blurted with a bow of apology. Tohru, still standing nearby, unconsciously braced herself for the outburst from Ritsu. It didn't come, however, as the honey haired male only bowed in return.

"_I _should've called _you_, I'm sorry." Tohru marveled at the display of a somewhat collected Ritsu, as Shigure walked up behind her.

"She won't give up her secret," the brunette girl jumped slightly, startled since she hadn't noticed the dog's approach, but turned to him with curiosity. "For some reason, Ritsu is calmer around Usagi. At least, he doesn't yell at the top of his lungs. We've all asked, but she won't tell us how she did it."

Shigure slipped off to greet Ayame, who just made his grand entrance, and most likely team up to bug Hatori. The stoic doctor stood to one side, watching the crowd contentedly for the moment, but probably not much longer. Hotaru broke off from their group to talk enthusiastically with Momiji, and from the corner of her eye she could see Yuki's approach.

"You look," The violet eyed boy hesitated, not sure of the word he should use, though he knew exactly what word he was thinking of. Tohru noticed the red starting to rise on his pale cheeks, and knew her face would surely follow. Finally, he blurted, "nice. You look nice."

"Thank you," she replied, indeed feeling her cheeks start to burn in response. A quick aversion of her brown eyes caught the wink that Usagi sent from a few feet away, which did nothing to aid the situation, but it made her smile nonetheless.

With Usagi, she was still talking to Ritsu, tugging on the strands of long hair that fell over his shoulders. "Ritsu-kun, you should let me cut your hair. You would look so handsome with short hair, don't you think? Just like Oniisan and Kyou-kun."

"Oh, no thank you, I—um," Ritsu looked around a bit nervously for a moment, so Usagi brushed off the subject with a laugh and circled her arm with his.

"Alright, we're heading for the beach; it's too crowded in here!" The silver haired girl announced to the group enthusiastically, before she turned to the orange haired teenager standing not ten feet away. "Kyou-kun, you carry the basket."

"What am I, your slave?" Kyou grumbled, reaching for the large, heavy picnic basket anyway. Usagi broke away from Ritsu to join him, grinning.

"The website said the whip should arrive within ten business days," was her answer before she broke into a fit of giggles at his expression. After catching her breath and following him out the back, she added, "I only picked you 'cause you're my strong, chivalrous, knight in shining armor, remember?"

"If you tease him anymore, his head might explode. Look how red he is," Usagi turned, catching stares with Hatsuharu. Her cheeks, already scarlet from laughing too hard, couldn't have possibly blushed any more. '_Thank goodness for small favors_.'

"Shut up you stupid cow." Kyou glared at the white haired teen, who blissfully ignored him. The three walked in silence behind the rest of the group as they filed toward the line of picnic tables. Large, multicolored umbrellas stuck up from the sand, shading the tables from the harsh sun of a cloudless sky. Kyou deposited the large basket on the first table and walked off.

Usagi turned her attention to Hotaru, and found her already settled at a table across from Momiji. The two of them talked animatedly, cutting each other off at instances and laughing, so she conceded her friend was plenty entertained. Next, she looked for Tohru, and located her a little ways away, stooped to talk to a shorter girl.

Her blue eyes raked over the younger girl, recognizing her instantly as Kisa Sohma. As opposed to the timid, almost frightened look she recalled from their first meeting, her large honey brown eyes sparkled beautifully against the bright sunlight as she laughed with Tohru. Hiro Sohma stood just behind them, a slight frown over his face, but the silver haired girl could detect the fondness in his expression as he watched the two.

Usagi crossed the space between them quickly, and squatted down next to Tohru with a warm smile fixated on Kisa. Hiro glared over her shoulder, unnerving the blue eyed girl, but she ignored it the best she could. At the encouraging smile from Tohru, Kisa's expression seemed more curious than bashful.

"Hello Kisa, Hiro! How are you?" She offered her hand in the space between them, trying to get Kisa to shake it.

"Who are you to come barging over here and interrupting our conversation? It's rude to push yourself on people you don't even know." Usagi turned her eyes on Hiro, surprised by the sneer on his face. Kisa looked torn between talking in front of a stranger and anxious over Hiro's attitude.

"Hiro, please don't be mean to Onee-chan's friend." The younger blonde pleaded, turning her brown eyes to the boy behind her. This made the young boy's frown more pronounced than before, and he grumbled as he turned his gaze. Kisa turned back, and with a nervous smile, took Usagi's offered hand and shook it.

"Are you hungry? We could sneak some riceballs from the basket." Usagi offered, winking playfully. Kisa flushed slightly and nodded, making the rabbit jump to her feet in excitement. When she turned to walk back toward the picnic tables, she ran right into Hatsuharu, who she didn't realize had followed her earlier. He grabbed her arm to balance her, so she didn't fall backwards.

"Clumsy much?" The ox asked offhandedly, releasing her arm.

"Yes actually. Come on, we're going to sneak some riceballs while no one is looking." She laughed, stepping around him and rushing toward the table. Hatsuharu caught up to her quickly, along with Tohru, Kisa, and Hiro. She opened one side of the basket, where the riceballs were sitting conveniently on top. "Tohru made these so we know they're good!"

"Thank you," Kisa said as Usagi offered her one of the perfectly shaped delicacies. Hiro mumbled something of gratitude after Kisa gave him a doe-eyed look.

"Hey, I helped," Hotaru declared as she grabbed one from over Usagi's shoulder with a grin. The silver haired girl grinned back, and her eyes caught sight of a commotion several tables down. She placed the riceballs back on the table and marched off with a word, leaving the group to stare after her.

"**Aya! Gure!**" The rabbit stopped behind the two, placing her hands on her hips and glowering at them, making up well for her height deficiency. They turned, eyes wide. "I did _not_ invite Hatori-san for you two to bother him the whole time. Scoot!"

"But Chibi-chan!" Aya whined, but Usagi shook her head before he could continue.

"No buts! Go occupy yourselves without bothering anybody! That includes Yuki!" As she shoved them away, she turned to Hatori with a slight smile. "We're snacking on the riceballs if you're hungry, Hatori-san."

With the two trouble makers of the Mabudachi Trio safely out of they way, the rabbit rushed back over to the picnic tables to help Tohru unload all the food from the baskets since the brunette was trying to tackle the chore on her own. Once they did, everyone crowded around to eat, so she fell back to give them room. That's when noticed, finally, that neither Hanajima nor Uotani were there.

"Tohru, where are your friends, Uotani-san and Hanajima-san?" The brunette girl also deemed it safer to wait out the horde of hungry Sohmas and stood to the side. She offered a smile.

"Uotani had to work an extra shift at her job this weekend and Hanajima's brother is sick." She informed. "They both called last night to say they couldn't make it. I think you were in the shower at the time."

The two moved toward the table, most of the crowd dispersed by now, and filled their plates. Tohru settled at the table between Yuki and Kisa, across from Hotaru and Momiji. Usagi took the end seat on the other side, next to Kyou and across from Hatsuharu, who was sitting next to Yuki at the end.

"The ocean looks beautiful," Tohru commented, turning their attention out past the white, sandy beaches to the dark blue that stretched on to the horizon.

"It's a shame we didn't bring or bathing suits. It's warm enough to swim," Hotaru said, nodding her head to agree with the older girl. "But Usagi and I did get a game that seems like it'll be really fun."

"Which should've been kept secret," Usagi rolled her eyes at Hotaru over Kyou's plate. The amethyst eyed girl grinned sheepishly in return. The silver haired girl evaded any further questions about said game, and abruptly switched the subject to school while they finished lunch. "Alright everyone, who is up for volleyball?"

The rabbit pointed enthusiastically to the volleyball net just past the final picnic table in the row. Kyou, excited at the thought of a challenge immediately agreed to the idea. Everyone else followed suit, so Usagi ran to grab the volleyball she'd seen on the back patio before joining the group at the net.

Though begged, all three members of the Mabudachi Trio decided to sit the game out. Usagi appointed herself Team Captain, and challenged Yuki to be her opponent. It took a moment for him to agree, but once he did, Kyou immediately joined Usagi's team. She rolled her eyes but nodded anyway, accepting him.

Yuki then picked Tohru for his team, Usagi picked Hotaru, Yuki took Momiji, Usagi Ritsu, and since Hiro and Kisa didn't want to be on separate teams, Yuki picked them both simultaneously, leaving Hatsuharu to join the rabbit's team.

"We'll serve," she announced, the ball still in her hands. Yuki nodded his assent, and they took positions on either side of the net.

**xXx**

Usagi grinned as she grabbed a soda from the refrigerator, her cheeks flushed with laughter and exertion. She moved out of the way so the group behind her could also grab a drink, and they all found comfortable positions around the kitchen to rest.

The silver haired girl leaned against the counter, throwing her head back and placing the bottom of her chilled can against her forehead. The ringlets they'd styled into her hair were nothing more than limp curls falling down her back.

"Ha ha ha, we won ya damn rat!" Yuki rolled his eyes as Kyou declared victory for the fifth time and accepted the soda that Hatsuharu offered him. A few minutes passed before Ayame, Shigure, and Hatori trailed the rest of them inside the house.

"I love air conditioning," Hotaru announced from the table before she took another long gulp of her drink. They all finished up the leftovers from lunch while they cooled down.

"Alright, I'm going to change and then we can play the game!" Usagi announced cheerfully. "Get all the chairs around the table so we can all fit, that way you can make yourself useful."

With that, the rabbit ascended the stairs, bringing Hotaru and Tohru with her. As the girls changed to shorts and tee shirts for comfort, after an amiable silence settled between them, they heard the scream. A startled look passed between them, before Hotaru crossed the room to the patio and slid the glass door open.

Down on the beach, a sickeningly familiar sight greeted her and the newly arrived Usagi. Tohru appeared seconds later, a gasp of surprise and horror escaping her. The vicious, wolf like youma stalked toward the line of beach homes, its gaze terribly feral. Violet eyes met blue, but they hesitated.

"There's no choice, we have to." Usagi said firmly, her expression set in determination. Hotaru appeared reluctant, her eyes skimming the curious and confused form of Tohru.

"We aren't supposed to," the ebony haired girl bit her lip, looking between Tohru and the advancing youma. Usagi turned to watch as the creature veered directions, heading a few houses down where two little boys were playing obliviously on the patio.

"We have to go **now**. I trust Tohru to keep our secret." Hotaru nodded her agreement, seeing the imminent danger to the children. Tohru watched bewildered as the two dashed back through the still open door and dove for their luggage. Less than a minute later, they appeared beside the brunette again.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power!"

"Saturn Planet Power!"

"Make up!" The two shouted in unison as their planetary power wrapped them in a colorful glow of lights. The brown eyed girl could only watch in disbelief as her two friends morphed into the legendary super heroes she'd heard so much about two years back.

Back then her mother would bring home countless magazine and newspaper clippings about the infamous super heroines of Tokyo, which they would read together at the table, imagining the magical warriors. As the glow disappeared, two of those heroes stood right in front of her, and above every other emotion she was feeling, Tohru wished her mother were there to meet them too.

"Sailor Moon," she whispered, still in awe at the now blonde, odangoed girl. Moon offered a smile, half apologetic as she and Saturn jumped from the balcony to the ground below. They wasted no time in rushing the youma from behind, Moon throwing her tiara to distract it before it could reach the two boys.

Tohru walked to the edge of the balcony and gripped the rail until her knuckles turned white. Her breath caught as the wolfish monster spun and lunged for the two senshi. Saturn raised her glaive and shouted something outside the brunette's hearing range. A glowing purple wall materialized between the girls and the youma, knocking it backward.

Just as the barrier disappeared, the creature pounced again. Saturn didn't have time to call up her defense again, and neither had the wits about them to jump. As it looked like the girls were about to go down, a flash of gold lit up in Tohru's brown eyes, and glowing chain wrapped around the youma, flinging it into the nearest tree.

Four more senshi arrived at the scene subsequently, each wearing a different color. Tohru placed both hands over her heart, her eyes welling swiftly with tears. The first fell as she said, "Mother, do you see? The sailor senshi are here, right now, fighting. They really do exist. They are just like all the stories say, Mother."

Another few rounds of fighting ensued. Even through her tears the brown eyed girl could see the flashes of fire, ice, lightning, gold, until finally Moon stepped up. With one colorful attack, the evil creature disintegrated into nothing. The senshi exchanged a few words, before the other blonde senshi nodded.

Four left the beach; Moon and Saturn waited a moment before they turned and went back to the balcony, just in time to catch the fainting Tohru Honda.

**xXx**

Well, it looks like the game will be a mystery to you too. xD I brought the laptop with me today without realizing I couldn't get through the scene without the game on hand. So...don't complain, this chapter is pretty long. :-P

Well it seems the romance has definitely tipped in Haru's favor, which gives me a delightfully horrible idea on how they will get together. I'll remain vague because I like to see you panic. :-3 Thank you so, so, so much for all the reviews, they're incredibly kind! -bows-

Oh, and the end of the Shigure/Usa scene was meant to be ambiguous and confusing.

Review darlings!

-SachiNyoko (I had to give up the hearts because of the laptop's keyboard. I can't make the symbols on here.)


	16. Chapter 16

Usagi reentered the strangely silent room with Hotaru at her side, a wide-eyed and shaky Tohru following very closely behind. The group looked at the trio expectantly, so the blue eyed girl shoved her anxiety aside and offered an easy smile.

"Sorry, we got caught up in conversation. Anyway, it's game time!" She placed the box in her hands on the table with a resolute thump, averting everyone's attention and allowing her a split second to feel relief. "I propose the same teams as volleyball since I know Oniisan is dying to exact his revenge," she grinned cheekily at her older brother, "plus Gure, Aya, and Hatori of course, and you have no say this time. You're all playing."

"Taboo®?" Momiji finally asked, reading the title of the board game in question. Usagi nodded, the bright smile she gave being completely genuine this time, as she slid the top of the box off and took out the smaller rectangle filled with a long deck of cards.

"Yes. Now, since Aya and Shigure are inseparable I'm taking both of them and giving Hatori to Yuki. I realize that we have one more person on our team than you guys but when I read you the rules of the game, you won't be worried." Hotaru giggled at this and they shared a brief look before the rabbit picked up the one page of instructions and glanced over it for a moment. "Okay, I'll give you the short version and Hotaru will help me demonstrate.

"First a member on your team is chosen to be the clue-giver and picks a card from the deck," She picked the card on the very end and looked it over, then grabbed a small hourglass from the box and held it up. "You have this much time to give clues. Now, on the top of the card there is a word. This one says, 'Abominable Snowman,' and under are another list of five words. The object is to describe the top word to your teammates without saying the words itself or using any of the other five words."

"How will we know if you cheat?" Hatsuharu asked.

"I'm getting there," Usagi responded, reaching in the box and pulling out a plastic purple object with a large red button on the top. "While you describe the word to your teammates, the other team members stand behind you to make sure you don't say any of the words. I'll show you," she handed the buzzer to Tohru and flipped the card over to the other side, standing across from Hotaru so she couldn't see, and then flipped the hourglass. Tohru peered over her shoulder while she thought.

**Choir**; _Chorus, Hymn, Sing, Church, Sunday_

"Okay, it's a group of people involved with music," she started, glancing at her violet eyed friend's blank expression, she continued, "they use their voices together," she paused, "in harmony."

"A choir!" Hotaru exclaimed, her face lighting up. Usagi nodded with gusto and turned to the others at the table.

"Everyone have it? Alright, well, you'll catch on as we play." She put the used card aside and took her seat, Hotaru and Tohru following suit. As she slid the deck across the table to Yuki, she smiled sweetly, "Group leader starts." The silver haired teenager stared at the suddenly intimidating cards as Usagi grabbed the score pad from the box. "Okay, Team A is Yuki, Tohru, Hatori, Momiji, Kisa and Hiro. Team B is myself, Hotaru, Kyou, Ritsu, Haru, Shigure, and Aya."

"Wait, the rules!" Hotaru announced, snatching up the instruction page once more, "Along with the whole word, no parts of the words can be said, like 'snow' or 'man' in snowman. No gestures with your hands, no sound effects or noises but you can break into song at any time, provided you don't say any of the words, no saying 'sounds like' or 'rhymes with', and finally no initials or abbreviations of words like MD for doctor. The game ends when each player on each team has had a turn, and the team with the most points obviously wins. It's not as hard as it sounds."

The ebony haired girl grinned at the confounded faces some of the group had on display. Usagi reached for the hourglass, nodded for Yuki to grab his card, and flipped the hourglass just as he glimpsed the word. Kyou snatched the buzzer before she could reach it however, and stomped around the table to stand behind his rival and assure his fair game.

**Criminal**; _Crook, Outlaw, Gangster, Felon, Thief_

Yuki could practically see the eraser swipe his mind into a complete blank. He looked over the card at his expectant teammates; the anxious Tohru, excited Momiji, expectant Kisa, indifferent Hiro, and perfectly poised Hatori. The sand continued to dwindle, already half gone, when he finally got a grip on his thoughts.

"A thief," or so he thought. Kyou jumped and pressed the red button down as hard as he could, and kept it going until Usagi marched around the table and took it from him, giving him an angry glare.

"Okay, Kyou is not allowed around the buzzer. I forgot to say if you mess up on a card you toss it away and grab another. You also do this if your team guesses the word. You keep going until your time runs out. Yuki was buzzed because thief was one of the five words under criminal," she showed the card to the table, "Oh, and only press the button once," she added, rolling her eyes as the red eyed boy returned to his seat, grumbling. Usagi grabbed the hourglass and said, "So that turn doesn't count. Start again Yuki."

The hourglass flipped and he grabbed another card, feeling a little more prepared this time. **Grasshopper**; _Locust, Cicada, Cricket, Insect, Jump_

"A bug that leaps around," he said quickly, "it makes a lot of noise at night."

"Cricket!" Kisa shouted.

"Grasshopper!" Momiji yelled at the same time. Yuki nodded and tossed the card aside, reaching for another. Hotaru marked a tally under Team A on the scorecard. **Artery**; _Blood, Heart, Angioplasty, Aorta, Clogged_

"A big and important vein in your body--"

"Artery," Hatori cut him off, sounding pretty indifferent. Yuki threw the card down and grabbed another while Hotaru marked their second point. **Teddy Bear**; _Toy, Cuddly, Stuffed, Sleep, Animal_

"A plush creature children hold at night."

"Teddy Bear!" Tohru nearly shrieked before almost fainting out of her chair from excitement. Usagi giggled and pressed the buzzer, signaling the end of Yuki's time.

"You guys are better at this than I thought, I'm a little worried now." She joked, returning to her seat with the cards in hand. As the game went on it was apparent that Hotaru and Usagi were the power players for their team, and that Yuki and Hatori were the best on their side. Kisa and Momiji were horrible clue-givers, but Shigure and Aya were even worse, so things evened out. By the end of the first game, Yuki's team won over Usagi's by two points.

They ended up playing four more rounds after that.

**xXx**

Most of the Sohma clan scattered about the house, a few paired and tripled, but amid the chaos Usagi found herself a comfortable spot sitting on one of the picnic tables outside. The cool breeze wrapped around her, calming, as she watched the sun sink beautifully over the water. All the thoughts occupying her involved Tohru and the fact that the sweet brunette girl knew not only one, but two of her most precious secrets in the world.

"Hey," if she did not turn in that moment and meet the unmistakable violet eyes of her brother, she couldn't have believed it. He sat on the bench of the table, so she had to tilt her head downward to see him properly. That's all she could do, stare, because the thought of Yuki approaching her and not the other way around overwhelmed her beyond words. At least until she remembered what she'd been meaning to say to him.

"Oniisan, thank you," Yuki looked up in confusion, but she quickly continued, "I know it has nothing to do with me but thank you so much for giving Aya another chance like I asked you to. You don't know how much it means, seeing the both of you get along."

"That was mostly Tohru's doing," Yuki replied, smiling softly as his gaze returned to the sunset. "Thinking about it now, I think that maybe I warmed up to her so easily in the beginning because unconsciously she reminded me of you. You both have the uncanny ability to fix things without even trying."

Usagi turned her head sharply to hide her pink cheeks, but she didn't wait to respond, "I don't think I'm like that. I mean, look at all I've done toward Akito and I still don't know if anything has changed at all. Sometimes I think I won't ever breach that wall."

"Not even Tohru has managed that yet." Yuki reminded her, and hesitating only a moment, placing his hand on hers. She squeezed his hand but said nothing, unwilling to chance ruining the moment with her words.

"Even though I didn't know it," she said after a while, after Yuki withdrew his hand and prepared to leave, "I missed you all this time. So, so much Yuki." Her older brother could think of nothing to say in response, but her smile gave him silent permission to return to the house, and he did. Turning back to the constantly darkening sky, she didn't stay alone for long at all. As they approached, the angrily heavy footsteps slowed, and then picked up into a normal stride again.

Usagi felt the weight on the bench beside her long before she looked to confirm her new companion. With a smile she said, "This is familiar. Almost like the roof at home, hmm?" Kyou didn't answer; he was still silently seething about whatever events brought him stomping outside to begin with. Playfully she added, "Aw, Kyou-kun, don't get moody on me."

"Shut up!" The red eyed boy snapped, making her withdraw instantly. He showed no remorse for his actions as he ranted, "Just stop treating me like that, like you know how I feel. You don't, so just leave me alone. Go find that damn rat or something."

Usagi turned her head so he could only see the back of her silvery haired head, and pretended that those words didn't stab through her as harshly as they really did. It took several moments for Kyou to realize what he'd just done, she could time the epiphany by the small 'ah,' that escaped him, the beginning of something he wanted to say but could find no words. Before he could try again, she turned.

"You know," she could tell easily by the guilt in his expression that the tears had already started down her face, "I don't treat you the way I do with any ulterior motives, or because I feel sorry for you, or take pity. I trust you. You know what it feels like to have Akito hate you, to be left out from his perfect family circle and treated like dirt. If you're going to treat me the same as her, then--"

"I'm sorry," Kyou finally managed to cut into her speech, but he averted his eyes downward, unable to look straight at her, "It's just, that damn Shigure," he paused, fumbling, "I didn't mean to say that."

"I know." Usagi responded, her tone softening, "You're forgiven." She rested her weight against him and closed her eyes, feeling terribly sleepy. For once, mostly credited to guilt, he didn't protest, but allowed her to drift off asleep as he watched the world submit to darkness.

**xXx**

Usagi woke to darkness sometimes later, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. When she did, she finally made out the form of Hotaru on the bed next to her, already awake and looking back at her. They both nodded to each other and sneaked out of their bed, tiptoeing for the balcony without waking Tohru. Once outside, they quickly transformed into their alter egos.

"Don't be nervous, okay?" Hotaru, now Sailor Saturn whispered as they began walking down the beach. Sailor Moon said nothing, it was apparent in her constant fidgeting how nervous she really was. The soft sound of waves became the only sound between them, as Moon tried to slow her hammering heart. The closer they got to their rendezvous point, she could make out the four silhouettes, and her stomach churned.

"You made it," Sailor Venus, who she knew as Minako Aino, spoke first, offering a cheery smile. Moon nodded back, noticing Saturn do the same in her peripheral vision. "We were worried, you're a little late."

"Like always," Sailor Moon bit her tongue, realizing her first mistake came with her first words. They didn't remember her, but they chuckled at the joke anyway, probably out of courtesy. "Anyway, I already know all of you, so I'll introduce myself. I'm Sailor Moon, the leader of the Sailor scouts and also Princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom. This is Sailor Saturn, a sailor senshi of the outer planets."

She let her transformation fade away, and Hotaru followed her lead. "You can just call me Usagi, and this is Hotaru."

"I know you said you know us, but," Venus looked to her friends for a moment, and then back at the silvery haired girl, "I'm Sailor Venus, and this is Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter." They also returned to their everyday forms, and she continued, "also known as Minako, Rei, Ami, and Makoto."

"Now that we've found the Princess, we'd like to know about the Prince as well. Have you found him yet?" Rei asked, stepping forward with her natural confidence, her violet eyes smoldering. Usagi wanted her to throw out an insult and to start a raspberry fight like they normally would, but the wish passed quickly under the somber memories the question brought.

"I have located Endymion, but sadly, he passed away not too long ago." Usagi swallowed down the emotion rising in her throat as the four inner senshi gasped at the revelation. "That aside, I called you hear so we could formally meet, and to let you know that Hotaru and I will come to help you with youma attacks anytime."

She bowed and turned to go, before she got too emotional, before she said things she shouldn't.

"Wait!" Makoto called suddenly. She turned back, her blue eyes wide. "You're the girl who stopped me in school that day. I remember that."

"Oh, yes. I couldn't exactly tell you who I was then." Usagi said nervously, laughing sheepishly. Rei cleared her throat, drawing attention back on herself.

"As long as the other girls approve, Usagi-san, I think it would be nice if you and Hotaru come to the scout meetings after school. That is, if you want," the raven haired girl appeared calm, but from the subtle emotions in her eyes Usagi knew she was nervous too. She was her best friend, after all.

"I would love that," she smiled brightly, and Rei relaxed.

"Unfortunately I can't. I have to go straight home after school." Hotaru said, smiling apologetically. "We should go now. See you around."

Just like that, the two girls were walking back down the beach, away from the four inner senshi, back toward the Sohmas.

**xXx**

I think this chapter leaves a lot to be desired, but I felt horrible and I needed to get a chapter out. Taboo, the board game played in this chapter, is awesome to play with a big group of people. :) I love you all, please review!

♥SachiNyoko♥


	17. Chapter 17

Usagi and Hotaru exchanged looks as they approached their beach house and found that the lights were on. The back door stood slightly ajar, with something of a commotion filtering through the single shaft of light, the small opening into the house.

The silver haired girl led the way inside slowly, as a loud crash reached her ears, followed by the persistent sounds of yelling. Swallowing down her apprehension, with a slight nudge from Hotaru, she jogged towards the noise with the ebony haired girl on her heels.

The origin of the chaos turned out to be the kitchen, most everyone assembled in the room, and as the sight reached her eyes Usagi felt faint. Yuki and Kyou were both working together for once; they were trying to hold down Hatsuharu, in vain. He'd obviously averted to his Black personality, not much of the kitchen was still intact. Something serious was wrong, Usagi could tell because he had tears in his eyes and everyone else looked torn between anxious and miserable.

The blue eyed girl felt her heart start to pound. She gripped the doorframe as Hatsuharu landed a blow on Kyou and continued to struggle in their grip. Every instinct in her body told her to turn and run away, that this wasn't Haru; she was terrified. Instead she loosened her grip and leapt forward, directly into the fray. No one had noticed the two girls enter the room due to the turmoil at hand, but Tohru emitted a cry of shock at the sudden fourth member to the tussle.

"Hatsuharu!" Usagi shouted his name as loud as she could, not really sure why other than it was the first thing that came to mind. Her arms found his neck, the sheer force of her weight knocking Hatsuharu clean from the hands of a startled Yuki and Kyou. The two crumpled to the floor and Usagi continued to hold on as tight as she could, even when he regained his senses and started fighting her grip. Hands locked around him, the silver haired girl ignored the blows the best she could.

In mere moments the thrashing white haired boy stopped moving, and for a moment she thought he had passed out until she felt him start to tremble. Usagi pulled him into a sitting position and held him as he sobbed against her shoulder. She peered inquisitively up at her brother, trying to discreetly question him on what had happened, but now that Hatsuharu had calmed, everyone was somber and silent.

_Later_, the look on Yuki's face told her as he knelt down. Between the two of them they managed to get the shaky ox on his feet, and everyone filed towards the door. Usagi obediently followed the crowd, utterly confused but granting most of her attention to keeping Hatsuharu steady. A line of cars had pulled into the driveway, Yuki opened the door to the nearest one and climbed in the backseat first, Usagi next bringing Hatsuharu with her.

The line of cars slowly started to move, but she kept her blue eyes on the crown of white hair in her line of vision. His face was still pressed against her shoulder but she couldn't tell whether he was still crying or not. When he finally lifted his head, his brown eyes were red and swollen, and she pulled him close again.

"Oh Haru," she whispered, her own eyes filing with tears. Nothing else could be said, she simply held on to him as tight as she could, until she finally felt his breathing slow. Shifting slightly in her seat, she turned to look at Yuki, who had been oddly silent the whole time. "Oniisan, what's happened? Where are we going?"

"It's Rin." In most places she might demand more answers, but those two words summed it all up. Her blue eyes stayed on Haru the rest of the car ride, praying that whatever happened Rin would be okay. The sheer emotional drain kept him dozed for the whole trip, but when the car slowed to a stop, he jerked awake. When he realized where they were, his eyes widened, and he jumped from the car.

It took a fraction of a second for Usagi to leap after him, sprinting, trying to keep up with him. Hatsuharu made it to the emergency room counter before she did, but lack of breath prevented him from speaking. The whole room, already quiet because it was the dead of night, echoed with the sound of their heavy breathing.

"Rin Sohma," Usagi gasped to the startled desk attendant. At the name, the woman's face turned somber. She felt her heart drop, but reached out and held onto Hatsuharu's hand, forgetting her own anxieties. The woman rose and walked off, mumbling about finding the doctor. In her absence, the other members of the Sohma family slowly filed into the waiting room. Apparently finding the doctor proved difficult, they didn't return for at least fifteen minutes.

The man in the white lab coat walked to the two of them, they stood in front of the crowd as though they were the leaders. He sported that I'm-a-worked-to-death-doctor look of exhaustion, but he tried to smile as he shook their hands.

"You're the family of Rin Sohma?" Usagi nodded. A transition occurred where the doctor's face melted from exhausted and friendly to solemn and stoic. The silver haired girl felt her heart beating painfully hard against her ribcage. "I'm Dr. Koichi."

He paused, and she felt sick. Whatever he had to say, he looked to be struggling over words. Usagi moved closer to Hatsuharu, squeezing his hand as tightly as she could, and listened when the doctor finally started again. "Rin has a long medical history of problems involving her stomach ulcers. When she came in tonight we did everything in our power to help her, but the damage was too much. She passed away shortly after. I'm sorry."

Usagi felt the grief settle on her almost instantly. She had barely known Rin while she lived with the Sohmas, but the loss was still there, and she could feel the pain of those around her pushing in on all sides. Her blue eyes turned to Hatsuharu, not knowing what to expect from him, but hoping he would not go Black again.

The reality was much worse. All the color drained from his face and the grip he held on her hand slackened to nothing. His chocolate brown eyes dulled, and she could almost feel him dying inside.

"Haru," Usagi touched his arm with her other hand. She was already crying. Hatsuharu didn't seem to hear her, or if he did he didn't acknowledge her words. She'd forgotten about everyone else in the room. Her hand moved from his arm to gently touch the side of his face. Finally, he turned to face her, and she pulled him into a hug.

Hatsuharu pressed his face into her shoulder, his arms circled around her, and Usagi could sense his heart breaking, knew that some part of him did realize what had happened. Rin was gone.

The world blurred around them. Though life proceeded, talk arose of funeral arrangements, of medical terminology neither could decipher; only they existed to each other. Hatsuharu became the only thing in her world, making sure he was alright, that he would survive this. Nothing else mattered.

**xXx**

Usagi sat at her desk twisting her silvery locks into a braid. She performed the task with slow precision, her blue eyes weaving between her hair and the silent figure on the bed. Through the mirror she could see the messy white mop of hair that shadowed his eyes. Finally tying the end of her hair, she stood and brushed the skirt of her black dress absently.

The rabbit moved to the bed and took the empty seat next to Hatsuharu. She took one of his slack hands in both of hers and squeezed it, imploring him to look at her. The feat took several moments' persuasion, but his brown eyes finally met her blue.

"It's funny, you pretty much brought me back to life after Mamoru died. I don't think I appreciated how hard that was until now." They shared a weak smile. "You always took care of me, even when we were little. I kind of suck at this side of it, hmm?"

Hatsuharu said nothing in response. Usagi leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You wanted to know what happened between us, between me and Rin."

Usagi stopped, debating her response. After a moment or two, she said, "Yes, but I was too afraid to ask."

A small moment of silence fell, before Hatsuharu began to recount everything that took place between him and the wild horse of the zodiac. The silver haired girl listened attentively, asked very few questions, and tried her best to be supportive. Time flew, and the funeral was upon them.

**xXx**

Of all things, the funeral proved easier than the wake. The wake represented more grief, the finality that Rin would never be among them again. Hatsuharu had turned Black and caused quite a commotion, so much so that Yuki and Usagi together could barely contain him, and bring him back to his rightful self. Today, it was different.

Hatsuharu sat in the first row, and Usagi fell in beside him, her hand hardly ever leaving his. Yuki took her other side several minutes later and acknowledged her with a reassuring smile. The silver haired girl felt a bit dizzy at the gloom that settled over the room, but she tried to keep her focus. Hatsuharu kept his chocolate brown eyes on the casket, but seldom moved at all.

In the rows behind them, Akito had arrived with Kureno. They were the last to show, and the ceremony began. Unfortunately the sermon fell on deaf ears. Usagi wondered why they decided an unknown should talk about the deceased. Why someone who never knew the person to begin with?

She squeezed Hatsuharu's hand, and felt Yuki grab her free one. Looking to him, the surprise showed in her features, but he kept his violet eyes on the front of the room. In another place, in any other situation, she would have smiled. Instead she turned attentions back to the speaker and let his voice wash over her.

The funeral passed. Usagi stood in the cemetery with Hatsuharu long after even the longest laggard. Behind him, her touch withdrew long ago. She simply kept her blue eyes poised on him, both hands tangled behind her, silently letting him realize she was still there for him alone.

The rabbit started when the white haired teenager finally stirred. The sun sat lazily on the horizon, slowly wrapping them in darkness. Her lips curved into a smile, though not as sincere, sealed with the most encouragement she could offer.

"She's gone." The two words that fell from his lips said nothing and everything. Hatsuharu placed his hands in his pockets and stared out over the gathering of tombstones, eyes narrowed and unreadable.

The two left together, before night consumed them wholly. They rarely spoke of Rin after the day, but she remained in their lives, like a ghost that sat between them always.

**xXx**

The most I can say of this chapter is…it's unexpected? Given the flow of the story, I realize it is kind of abrupt but I've intended to make it this way for a while now. It's still sad. :( It would have been more uneven a chapter if I wrote into the next scene, so I decided to end it here. I hope I'm graciously forgiven for this chapter.

I know it's short, but please review.

♥SachiNyoko♥


	18. Chapter 18

Usagi held on to her school bag, blue eyes fixed up at the intimidating number of stairs. Her lips quirked as she glanced at her watch and realized she was late, as usual. With her heart full of will power, she took the first step, and began the long climb up to the Cherry Hill Temple.

As she reached the top, her feet guided her toward the all too familiar meeting place. She heard the cheerful laughter on the other side of the threshold. Her heart clenched. A flurry of memories assaulted her as she reached for the door. Senshi battles, her adoptive parents, her mother, Hatsuharu, Yuki. For some reason, as she slid the door open and the room went quiet, she thought of Rin.

"Hello," she greeted, trying to sound genuinely cheerful. The four girls stared up at her, blinking. Her best friends, the ones she shared so much with. She felt like crying, or at least turning and running away.

Then, the most unexpected thing happened. The raven haired priestess rose from her seat and walked right up to the silver haired girl, facing her head on with the oddest expression. Without a word she enveloped Usagi in a hug, and a wave of emotion washed over her, her breathing stopped for a moment, preventing her from speaking.

"Usagi-chan," Rei's voice drowned her, and the tears came so quickly she couldn't hope to ebb them. The other girls quickly joined around her, and for all the heart ache of the last week, Usagi thought she may never have felt this happy in her entire life.

"B-But Hatori, Setsuna told me," the silver haired girl began, her thoughts rushing forward all at once. She pulled back, ever reluctantly, and looked her senshi in the face. "You acted like you didn't know me. How did you get your memories back?"

"Luna." Minako chose to answer that question first. "The Luna Mind Meld, remember? Luna and Artemis both witnessed that guy erase my memories, so after he got all of us they went back and undid it."

"We acted like we didn't know you because we thought you may be in danger." Ami spoke next. "With that guy's power we had no way of knowing about whoever else you were staying with. Therefore, we waited for an opportunity to get you alone."

"I told Setsuna to play along." Usagi turned as the black feline jumped on the table. Her ruby eyes looked on her charge with mixed emotions, her tail flicking back and forth gently. "She told me the truth about the Sohmas, and I thought it best to keep things the way they were. I can see how much you've changed already, Usagi."

The rabbit felt fresh tears sting at her eyes. Makoto placed a hand on her shoulder, "Yeah, Usa, you've done some growing up on us. What gives?"

Pain. Heartbreak. She wanted to say it, to be straightforward. Only the sting of tragedy had matured her the past months apart from her dear friends. Instead, she laughed softly. They took their seats. Usagi explained her family, the Sohmas, almost all that had happened. She listened as her beloved senshi did the same. They discussed what this new enemy meant for them.

It felt like home again.

**xXx**

Between Shigure and Hatori, more the latter she supposed, they managed to get the two girls transferred into Hatsuharu and Momiji's class. Before when she protested, it was unnecessary for her to do so. Now Haru needed her. She shared a quiet word with the teacher, and then slid into the seat in front of Hatsuharu. Momiji smiled at her, but even her fellow rabbit couldn't quite achieve cheeriness.

"Morning!" Hotaru claimed the seat beside hers, in front of Momiji. The positive effect of the girl's good mood set Usagi upright in her seat. She could already hear the disgruntled muttering of the girls on the opposite side of the room. As suspected, the fan girls in Hatsuharu and Momiji's class proved more avid than the others.

_They don't mean any harm_, Usagi told herself, sending a sideways glance at the glaring girls. Shifting in her desk, she looked at Hatsuharu. His chin propped in his hand, it seemed like nothing could tear his chocolate eyes from the classroom wall. _He insisted on coming to school so soon. I wonder why?_

The teacher called their attentions, so Usagi twisted in her seat to face the front once more. Class scarcely provided distraction from her thoughts. She ambled through the day almost like a half-asleep drone. Almost too suddenly, lunch came around.

She held back, letting the others fall ahead. As soon as they moved on she headed to the restroom. It was while washing her hands that the incident begun. Her blue eyes moved past her reflection, to the taller dark haired girl standing akimbo behind her. Moving to the side, she dried her hands on a paper towel and faced the challenge head on.

"You," the girl accused, pointing her long, bony finger at Usagi's chest. The silver haired girl looked at it, and then the girl, calm under the circumstances. "You have some nerve. We all know why you transferred classes."

"This is about Hatsuharu." The rabbit turned her solemn eyes to the girl's slightly startled brown. She kept her voice steady, but her hands clenched into fists. They shook with fury at her sides. "You could never understand what he's going through right now. You're a blind fool not to see it."

"I--" the girl didn't know what to retort. Dark brown eyes shifted back, then forth, and then back again. Her lips parted, closed, flailing to produce words but unsuccessful. Usagi's hand slackened and she looked at the girl with a bit of different emotion.

"For your sake, I hope you never have to understand that kind of pain." The words were soft, sincere. They struck the girl dumb, and Usagi stood there for several moments before she turned to exit the bathroom.

"Akiko." Pausing, the rabbit turned to look at the other girl, her eyebrow arched in confusion. The dark haired girl glanced at her shoes, the softest hue of pink across her cheeks. "My name is Akiko."

"Usagi," she smiled gently before turning and leaving for good this time. Akiko stood in the bathroom, waiting, until the two stalls at the end opened and two freshmen girls appeared from them.

"Aki-senpai, what are we going to do now?" The first asked. The second nodded, emphasizing she was just as curious. Akiko smiled and walked for the door.

"Absolutely nothing."

**xXx**

Tohru had to work, and Yuki had after school activities with the student council that he said would run late. Usagi pleaded with Kyou to cook her something for dinner and by the time she wore him down, she really was starving. She sat at the table, her lips puckered into a frown as she tried to decipher the string of numbers in her math textbook while the tantalizing odor of dinner wafted around her workspace.

"It's wrong." The rabbit jumped as Kyou's voice cut through her thoughts. She blinked her eyes at him, and then looked at the single problem on her sheet of paper. With a sigh, she shut the book.

"This situation is irritably familiar," she mused, glaring at her paper before tucking it away and welcoming the meal that the orange haired teen presented her with. Wasting no time, she dove right in with a cheerful smile.

"What, you sucking at math?" Kyou asked. Usagi glowered at him over her next bite of food, poised halfway between the plate and her mouth. The situation proved more comical than menacing due to the smear of rice on her cheek that she was unaware of. Too hungry to start an argument, she left it at that and returned to devouring her dinner.

They ate together in silence. When Usagi finished she took her plate to the sink and started on the dishes, figuring it was only fair since Kyou cooked for her. After a while he brought his plate over as well, and began drying the dishes. She thought it a bit odd of him, assisting her willingly, but certainly didn't protest. It took only a minute for his motivation to become known.

"How's Haru?" Usagi's hand paused in the middle of scrubbing his plate. Her blue eyes found his red, startled. For a moment, she held her breath, uncertain of why. Then she turned back to the sink and finished the last dirty dish without speaking. When her hands had nothing left to distract her mind, she placed them palm flat against the counter.

"He's," she let the silence hang, until Kyou finally finished his dish and put it away. Before she knew, she was blinking back tears. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

Wiping hastily at her eyes, Usagi pushed away from the counter and collected her math homework, mumbling about failing. Kyou stood by the counter and watched her flustered movements, feeling he should do something. He stayed still while she finally lifted her full bag, but she didn't make a step from the table before her tears overwhelmed her.

Kyou panicked. By some miracle, he heard the front door open and close. Yet when the voices of Yuki and Tohru filtered from the hall, Usagi turned, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out the backdoor with her before he could react. When the blue eyed girl was assured they went undetected, she dropped his hand suddenly and wiped furiously at her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Kyou said firmly, his red eyes fixed on her, annoyance their clear sentiment. Usagi paused, her lips still parted with the words she intended to speak next. Not intent on upsetting her further, he softened a bit when he said, "You act like everything's your fault. It's not."

"I--" The silver haired girl opened her mouth, then shut it again and gave him a watery smile. "Thanks. That means a lot." She enveloped him in a hug, and pulled away quickly when she felt him tense up. She then fled back inside, leaving him standing alone in the darkness, wondering.

**xXx**

Usagi sat in her last period, her least favorite, math, letting her eyes droop as she wrote down the night's homework in a half alert state. Her gaze caught with that of Akiko, the girl who tried to corner her in the restroom a few days ago, and the dark haired girl smiled hesitantly. The blue eyed teenager returned the gesture, but found her attention absorbed on the teacher a few seconds later when he announced their tests were graded.

"Please pick it up on your way out of class. If your mark was too low, you know you have to get a parent or guardian to sign." The rabbit wanted to bang her head against the desk as she remembered her last score around the 30-40 range. She looked around for some moral support, but since their schedules had been jumbled around so they could switch into Hatsuharu's class, Hotaru no longer had the last two classes with her, and this was the only one she had alone.

The bell rang, and Usagi moved sluggishly as she stuffed her books and other supplies away. The class slowly streamed out into the hall, retrieving their papers from the teacher. When the silver haired girl was satisfied the only paper clutched in the teacher's hand was hers, she rose and walked to the front of the room.

"You know, Miss Sohma, when your former teacher spoke to me about your performance in his class I was hesitant about taking you on." Usagi cringed as she reached the desk, but said nothing in response. She placed her open palm in front of her and waited. "But he must have been mistaken, hm? Good job."

The rabbit blinked as the paper rested in her hand, and looked at her teacher with a strange expression. He only smiled back at her, and inclined his head toward the test. Usagi obliged, and looked down at the large red mark in the corner of the page. Her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. '_80?! I got a B?!_'

Without any warning she jumped in the air, throwing her arms up and shouting. Her teacher looked slightly startled, but still amused as she thanked him a hundred times over and sprinted from the classroom. She knew Yuki didn't have student council this evening, so she hoped to catch him by the school gates. When she finally spotted his crown of silver hair over the crowd, she pounced through the fan girls 'discreetly' following him and launched on his back, much like she did on a separate occasion.

"YUKI!!" Usagi shouted, right into the poor boy's eardrum as she waved the paper frantically in his face. "Look, Oniisan, look!"

"I can't look with you choking me, or when you wave it around like that." Yuki managed to say even while being half strangled. Usagi climbed off of him and held the paper still, right under his nose. Shaking his head, he grabbed the paper from her and held it a fair distance away while she bubbled with excitement.

"I got a B!" The rabbit announced, not intent on waiting for him to figure it out for himself. She bounced from foot to foot, grinning, "I've never gotten higher than a D on a math test before! And it's all because you helped me."

Usagi pulled her brother into a hug, smiling, before he could say anything. The she readjusted her grip on her school bag and grabbed her math test back, saying, "By the way, I wanted to let you know I was going out. I might not be home until late, okay?"

Yuki caught her arm before she got away, giving her a look. She only smiled in return. "Don't worry, I'm not going to the main house. I promise. It's just somewhere I need to go alone."

"Alright." He released her then, and Usagi smiled with gratitude before she quickly walked off, just as Tohru appeared and joined him for his walk home. They shared a bit of pleasant conversation, but Yuki found his mind wandering to where his younger sister might be going.

**xXx**

Usagi took each step slowly, her determination wavering but never abandoning her as she walked. Her subconscious led her on to her destination, though she wouldn't admit she knew the path by heart. She'd traveled it in her mind so many times since the day.

_Isuzu "Rin" Sohma_

The silver haired girl sat cross legged in front of the stone, her deep blue eyes fixed on the arrangement of fresh flowers already there. Someone had visited today, before her, already. She placed the single lily to the side of this bouquet and placed her palm flat against the cool, smooth surface, her fingers brushing the light ridge of the engraved name.

"Rin," she whispered, not able to raise her tone any louder. How could the death of someone she hardly knew affect her so hard? "Rin, I wonder, is the Haru I know and the one you knew the same person?"

A slight breeze stirred, blowing a few strands of silver in her eyes. She wondered if this was an answer. She wondered if she was losing her mind. "I know I might just be your replacement, but I swear I'll take care of him."

The wind picked up, tousling her hair even more, brushing at the tears that now lined her cheeks. Usagi felt a sudden warmth in her heart, and hoped that wherever Rin was, she heard her and knew the words were a promise.

**xXx**

Ahoy! The progression of this chapter came very slowly, but still steady. I'm happy with the ending of it, though. I can't believe how fortunate I've been with this story. I find it hard to accept that the reviews have passed three hundred, that so many people like it. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Rin's presence in the story will continue, though maybe not as heavily as the past two chapters. I hope you enjoyed this installment, and see you all next chapter!

♥SachiNyoko♥


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning! **If you do not know how Fruits Basket ends, this chapter does contain spoilers. Also, it should be noted that future chapters may contain them as well. The English translated manga is available up to volume 18, but there are a couple more volumes before the series ends, so if you don't want to spoil anything, don't read. Fair warning. ;)

**xXx**

Usagi curled locks of Hatsuharu's white hair around her fingers, feeling his slow breathing warm against her cheeks, listening to his steady heartbeat. She stayed with him all morning, until he fell asleep beside her a little while ago. Moving slowly, she slipped away from him and exhaled. It was time.

The blue eyed girl found her way around the main house well enough. She knew the path of hallways that led to Akito's room. When she turned the corner she found Kureno just leaving, most likely to fetch something. They met gazes, he shook his head lightly and continued walking, pausing briefly at her side.

"Take care of yourself." The softly spoken words stunned her for moment while Kureno walked off, but did not deter her in the least. She walked to the door, placing her hand against it, and thought about Rin. About the horrible things Hatsuharu told her that Akito had done, about throwing her out of the window, about locking her away in the cat's room. The silver haired girl shuddered, but slid the door open before she could change her mind.

Akito's dark, almost black eyes shifted to her, his mouth stretching into a smirk. The faces of those who worried about her shifted through her mind; of Yuki, of Shigure, Hatsuharu, even Kyou. She entered, bowing as she was used to, waiting.

"Ame," he spoke, a hint of barely concealed laughter in his tone, "this _is_ a surprise. No handholding, no Dog to come in and give me his little warnings. This is rich, little rabbit."

Usagi raised her eyes to meet his. She wanted to reach out, to hold him in her arms. To her he looked like a broken child, and she was trying her hardest to fix him. "I found out about your little friends. How extraordinary that they would suddenly regain the memories that Hatori stole."

She felt a true jolt of fear go through her then, one that brought a maniacal grin to Akito's face. Then he rose to his feet and, before she could react. Twisted his hand in her hair and jerked her up. "You're keeping something from me. Tell me!"

"I came to talk to you." Usagi whimpered, crying out when Akito jerked her hair even harder. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

She crumpled when he released her, breathing heavily as she stared into the floor. After regaining her breath, she pushed herself back on her knees, upright, looking at Akito. He focused his gaze outside, away from her, unreadable.

"I was told once, about you. When you were born, the horrible things your mother did to you." Akito's head snapped back to her in an instant. The look he gave, his nostrils flared, his eyes wide and black with rage, sent her shivering. "That she still does."

"You don't know anything! Shut up! You don't know!" Akito was screaming now. He was in front of her again, angry, pummeling her with his fists.

"She's wrong! Please, Akito-kun, stop!" Usagi could barely raise her voice to the soft whine it came out as. She ached all over now, but Akito mercifully stopped, his balled hands poised in midair for another strike. Though it hurt, she raised her arms to circle around him, and for once he didn't fight back. "I love you. The Juunishi love you."

"You're wrong," Akito tried to sound angry, moved his hands to push her away, but the fight had drained out of him. He was recalling everything, all the words said, everything...

"I know you feel like you're being abandoned, but it's not true. Everyone has to live their own lives." Usagi continued to cling to Akito, her voice breaking in sobs, "We still love you. Don't you want the same thing, Akito? Aren't you tired of pretending to be what you're not?"

"I'm not pretending to be anything! I'm a god!" Akito's voice rose again as he shoved Usagi away. "What would you know? You're an outcast! You don't belong here. There's no place in this family for you. I should lock you up with the cat. I should--"

"I know." Usagi's whisper somehow penetrated the screeching anger of Akito's voice. "I don't belong. That's true. But I know the truth about you Akito. I know how Shigure feels. And I know that this isn't what you want."

A spasm of pain shot through her. She coughed violently into her hand for a few moments, and when she pulled it away from her, she could see the blood smeared across her palm. Before she could muster a response, her blue eyes rolled back into her head, and she was out cold. Akito had been struggling with the words he had heard, bull the dull thud of Usagi's body against the floor pulled him to reality.

"Ame," he rushed to her then, realized her breathing was labored, panicked. It took several cries for help before Kureno was rushing into the room, dropping the tray with fresh tea in his haste. The warm liquid seeped slowly across the floor as they tried to revive the unconscious rabbit.

**xXx**

Usagi recalled later, in a haze, that she woke up in a dark hospital room with Shigure standing there, watching her with his dark eyes worried. It hurt to move, but she reached her hand out to cover his, whispering, "Tell her."

His shocked expression mixed with the medication lulled her back into sleep.

The next time she woke, her mind groggy from sedatives, it wasn't the dog of the zodiac that greeted her, but the ox. He sat next to her bed, his fingers clenched into his white hair until she could see the black roots peeking through. When he finally raised his head, realizing she was awake, she could see the redness of his eyes.

"Haru, it hurts," she whispered, unable to talk much louder. He automatically reached for the nurse call button, but she stopped him, shaking her head. "It hurts to see you cry."

"It's your fault. After everything I told you, you still," he stopped, his rage flickering away when she touched his arm.

"Come closer," she asked softly, and when he did, she smiled and said, "You know I never lost my resolve to get through to Akito. I put it on hold for you, but I never gave up on it."

The silence settled between them. Hatsuharu couldn't respond to that, but he understood, and his anger dissipated completely. After a while he said, "Yuki went to get dinner. He's worried sick about you. Ayame has been driving everyone in the waiting room crazy. They almost kicked him out."

Usagi wheezed out a pathetic sounding laugh at this, and then coughed a bit. The door of her room opened and Yuki walked in, sipping his drink from the cafeteria. When he saw the silver haired girl staring up at him, he choked, and she gave another wheezy laugh.

"Are you okay?" He asked, setting the drink aside.

"I feel groggy. What are they giving me?" She smiled cheerfully at this, and Yuki shook his head lightly. She drew a slow breath and asked, "Is Shigure still here?" The two shared a strange look at the question, but Hatsuharu answered first.

"Now that you mention it, he left a little while ago." Usagi sunk into her pillow, closed her eyes, and smiled softly to herself. "Yuki, you might want to go get Tohru before she has a panic attack in the waiting room and ends up over there." Hatsuharu pointed his thumb to the empty bed next to Usagi's. Yuki nodded his agreement and walked out of the room with a backward glance at his sister.

When the brunette entered the room, Yuki had to catch her by the arm so she wouldn't pummel the blue eyed girl and aggravate her injuries. She professed her endless worries teary eyed while Usagi listened, smiling widely. Behind Yuki, Kyou and Momiji followed. Momiji took a spot next to Tohru and nodded his agreement to her sentiments, while Kyou lingered in the background.

"**Chibi-chan**!" Ayame's loud voice overlapped any other conversation in the room when he burst in, his bright golden eyes sparkling with tears. "I was so worried about you!"

Usagi continued to listen to his rant of affection, giggling the whole time. That is, until a spasm of pain went through her chest and she winced. Hatori chose that time to show up, commanding Ayame to hush, which he abruptly did.

"The doctors say you ruptured a blood vessel in your lungs, which caused the blood. You should be fine now, with a few days rest." He fixed his steely gaze on her, and he seemed to soften a bit. "Thank you, for Shigure."

Everyone in the room gave him a puzzled look, but Usagi just smiled widely and nodded. Hatori left again, taking the rambunctious Ayame with him. The group talked and laughed for a while until they decided it was time to go home. As they filed out, Usagi watched them go.

"Kyou," she called softly, catching the cat's attention before he crossed the threshold. She beckoned him over to the bed and sent a pointed glance at the lingering Hatsuharu. "I want to talk to you alone for a minute."

The chocolate eyed teenager shrugged and walked out, closing the door behind him. Kyou stood very still next to her bed, his face betraying his nerves as he shifted his eyes around the suddenly quiet room. Finally, he asked, "What is it?"

Usagi reached her hand out and touched his wrist, the bracelet of beads that rested there. He jerked away immediately, glaring. Undeterred, she turned her beep blue eyes on him and said, "I've known. I know you think I didn't, that you were scared I would hate you."

"How?" Kyou might've fired off a thousand questions, but he didn't seem to be able to speak.

"You remember the time your other form was shown to Akito," Kyou frowned, noticing how she referred to the monster as his 'other' form and not his true form. Still, he nodded, and she continued, "I was there. I had been playing with Haru and picked what I thought would be the perfect hiding place. No one knew I was there, but I saw everything."

Usagi stopped there, waiting, wondering if he would say something. When he didn't, she found herself rambling on, "It was one of two times I ever seen you when I was a kid, growing up in the main house. The other was the funeral." She paused, and then, "I wanted to approach you then. I wanted us to be friends because you were a lot like me."

"How were you and I alike?" Kyou snapped, turning back to her now, his face displaying his irritation. She smiled lightly.

"We were both outcasts. You were the cat, I was the second rabbit. Akito hated us both. We both only had one person who really took care of us." Usagi smiled wistfully as she thought of Shigure. "I didn't mean to upset you by telling you, but I was tired of pretending like I didn't know. I don't think you're a horrible person, or evil, or any of those things. We can still be friends, right?"

Kyou never got the chance to answer. The door banged open and a raven haired girl stomped in the room, her face a mixture of rage and annoyance. Usagi's eyebrows jumped upward, and then she chuckled nervously, sinking down into her bed more as the new girl got closer. Kyou jumped out of her way as she took his spot next to the bed.

"Odango atama, I should pummel you right now." Three more girls filed into the room as she spoke, causing the nervous smile on Usagi's face to widen. "You're unbelievable."

"Aw, Rei, give her a break." Minako chirped, throwing her arm around the irritated priestess and grinning at the blue eyed girl in the bed. "Don't let her fool you. She's been a nervous wreck since we heard."

Usagi laughed at the streak of red that crossed Rei's face, watching from the corner of her eye as Kyou slipped from the room. She continued to laugh with her friends until the nurse came by and kicked them out, declaring visiting hours over.

**xXx**

Usagi sighed, looking out her hospital window to the city beyond. It was her third day in the hospital and the doctors had finally permitted her to walk around the room. A stack of homework waited for her on the table near her bed. One of her favorite CDs played from the small player that Yuki brought for her, yet her mind lingered elsewhere.

The door opened to her room, and without turning, she called, "I don't need anything, thank you."

"Usagi," she felt her body go rigid at the voice. Though the tone was different than anything she was used to, and the name was one she was never called, she knew who spoke immediately. Turning, she met the black eyes of Akito apprehensively. Shigure following eased her anxiety somewhat.

Then she saw what she overlooked at first, what Akito wore. A simple white dress, revealing what she'd known for so long, what Shigure had told her when she was still a child; Akito was a woman. A cheerful smile broke over her face and she moved forward, slowly. When she finally made it across the room, she enveloped her in a hug.

"I'm so happy."

"I'm," Akito stumbled over her next words, overwhelmed by Usagi's emotion, "I'm sorry, for everything."

"No worries," Usagi pulled away, still smiling. She met gazes with Shigure, grinned, and tackled him with a hug next. Whispering so only he would hear, she said, "It's about time, Gure-chan."

**xXx**

"What changed?" She had been talking with Akito and Shigure for a while now, but just gathered the courage to ask the question that nagged her since she turned and saw the new Akito.

"When I thought you were dead, that I had killed you," Akito began softly. As Usagi looked on, she found it hard to believe now that anyone had mistaken her for a male. "All of a sudden it seemed the things you had been saying sunk in, and then Shigure came."

"So," Usagi began again, hiding her grin as the two shared a look. Her hesitation was brief, "so the cat's room. There's no need for that now, right?"

Akito shook her head softly, saying, "I was thinking of knocking it down."

"Good," Usagi fell back into her pillows, smiling, her eyes closed, "Good."

The next few days of her stay in the hospital was blur of visitors, laughter, and the tinge of boredom when she was alone. But it never lasted very long, and finally the doctor announced her healthy enough to return to her everyday life, with the promise of following up with a family doctor. She smiled and thought of Hatori.

The person that picked her up, surprisingly, was Kyou. They walked, he carried her bag, but his red eyes avoided her most of the time. "Yuki asked me to come get you. He had student council."

Usagi nodded at this absently, clutching the radio he brought her in both hands. It bounced softly against her legs as she walked, but she didn't mind, humming the tune she'd been listening to that morning. Moments passed before his voice cut through her reverie again.

"The answer is yes." The silver haired girl turned then, her humming stopping, to observe the now flushed Kyou. When she said nothing, he decided to elaborate, "You asked if we could still be friends. The answer is yes."

Usagi only smiled, thinking of no words to say. They stayed silent most of the way, until Shigure's house slowly came into view. Her expression softened with worry, and she mused, "I wonder how everyone will react to Akito now."

"What do you mean?" Kyou asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. She arched an eyebrow at him as they stopped in front of the entrance. "I haven't seen him."

"Her," Usagi corrected, smiling mischievously as she took her bag and disappeared into the house. It wasn't the first time she'd left Kyou shell shocked at the front door, and it might not be the last.

**xXx**

Umm. I have nothing to say. It might seem like the story is ending soon, but with everything that still has to happen, I wouldn't be surprised if it breached 30 chapters. ;) Please review!


	20. Chapter 20

Usagi felt her heart jump when the knock on the door echoed from the entrance. Tapping her pencil against her notebook nervously, her blue eyes glanced from Kyou sitting at the table with her to the familiar silhouette of Yuki passing the kitchen to answer the door. Before her older sibling could even reach for the knob, she jumped from her chair and sprinted to join him.

Stomach churning, she watched Yuki freeze when he caught sight of their visitor. She calmed herself and stepped up beside him, offering a smile to the dark haired female. "Hello, Aki-chan. Come in. Gure-chan isn't down yet."

Usagi led Akito in, around the shell-shocked Yuki, but found herself thrown off by Kyou standing just beyond him. The orange haired youth must have followed her after the sudden departure. Shaking her head, she smiled as though nothing were out of the ordinary. "Are you going to stand in our way all evening?"

Kyou at least gathered himself enough to step aside. Usagi felt her heart racing, palms sweating, she knew by the uncomfortable expression that Akito wore that she didn't know what to say either. Shigure appeared then, saving them all from the momentary tension.

Within a moment the two were out the door, off to their planned night. The cat stormed passed her, and the silver haired girl sent a pained look back at Yuki, who looked like he hadn't moved an inch in the past five minutes, before rushing after him.

"Kyou, wait."

"Just leave me alone." Usagi winced at his harsh tone, but persisted up the ladder after him, refusing his request. He practically leapt onto the roof, but when she tried to copy his movements, her gracelessness prevailed. Foot slipping against the slick shingles, she almost plummeted to the ground when she felt Kyou's hand encircle her arm. He grabbed her other arm and heaved her back up.

She sat there for a full minute, clutching his shirt, shaken up from nearly falling. Only when she lifted her head again, her blue eyes meeting Kyou's scarlet, did she realize how close they were. Clearing her throat, she moved to a more comfortable distance, remembering the reason she followed him in the first place.

"Do you really hate Akito?" He glared at her briefly before turning the other way. Usagi sighed and hugged her knees to her chest. "I know she's done a lot of terrible things to everyone. She's been through a lot though, just like the rest of us. We've all coped in our own way, I guess that Akito didn't know what else to do but lash out."

"Why are you making excuses?" Kyou was angry; she didn't even need to hear the tone of his voice. She could practically feel it emanating from him.

"I don't know. I don't want you to hate her. I guess I'm just hoping that everyone will forgive her." Usagi rested her forehead to her kneecaps and sighed again, feeling the strange urge to laugh and cry at the same time. "Stupid, I know."

"Why does it matter so much to you?" Silence engulfed them as soon as the question left his lips. Usagi stayed in her curled position, didn't bother to look at him even though she could feel his eyes on her. Her heart felt heavy with emotion as the question repeated itself in her mind over and over.

"I love Akito." Her voice cracked. A shiver ran through her she told herself was because of the cold. As she thought of her brother, of Shigure and the distant look she caught on his face from time to time, of Hatsuharu on the day of Rin's funeral. "And I wanted it to stop. I wanted all the pain that she was causing to stop." Usagi gasped for breath, trying to squash the sob rising in her throat. She was so tired of crying. "Does that make me awful? I didn't help Akito for Akito's sake, but for everyone else's."

"No." That did it. The sob she was fighting died. She looked to Kyou but couldn't see his face, yet his voice had changed. "It actually makes sense now, why you kept at it all this time."

"Akito told me she would knock down the room." Usagi shifted with the change of tension between them. She let her words hover for a moment before she added, quietly and a bit sadly, "It's almost over."

She descended the stairs and returned to the house, alone.

**xXx**

Hours later, Usagi stood on the outskirts of the forest that surrounded Shigure's house fully clad in her sailor uniform. Still panting from her quick journey there, she winced as another spasm of pain rippled through her. She'd been tossed around by that youma a little too much. Her eyes skimmed the window to her room, slightly ajar and welcoming her home to the nice comfortable bed inside.

She thought about her conversation with Kyou, of coming inside to find Yuki only to discover him with Tohru, already taken care of. Of lying in her bed in the darkness feeling like she was floating away.

Pausing, she confirmed the complete darkness of the house, the silence all around her before she made the dash and leap for the second story. A gasp of surprise escaped her as she nearly missed, a single gloved hand curling around the window sill the only savior to another painful fall. _I hate being such a klutz_.

With a grunt of effort and pain, she swung her body weight and grabbed on with the other hand. As she was about to heave herself up into her room, she felt the hand grab onto her wrist. Her body went rigid. She began to hyperventilate, unsure of what to do. Figuring she had little choice, Usagi allowed herself to be helped in the window.

She stood, her boots sinking lightly into the carpet, watching the dark silhouette move across the room toward the lamp. _What should I do_? Squinting against the sudden flood of light, her mouth formed a perfect 'O' when she saw who was in the room with her.

"Usagi?" She opened and closed her mouth several times before finally nodding. Yuki watched, completely transfixed, as she reverted back to his little sister, with dark sapphire eyes and that familiar crown of silver hair.

"Oniisan, what are you doing in here?" Her heart shaped face was twisted in uncertainty as she glanced behind him, to the closed bedroom door.

"I was getting a glass of water and I heard your window open. When I came to check on you, you were gone. I was going to wake Shigure, but something told me to wait, so I did." He looked unsure, but Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn't woken the whole house. "You're Sailor Moon?"

"Yes," she surprised herself with how easy that one word response came. Maybe she'd wanted to tell him all this time without realizing, but she hadn't hesitated. "It's why I had to leave all those years ago. I had a destiny to fulfill. It's kind of funny, huh?"

"I don't think that's the word I would use. Does anyone else know?" Yuki looked oddly hesitant.

"Well, Tohru actually," Usagi paused, watching her brother raise his eyebrows in surprise. "It was an accident. There was a youma and someone was in danger, I didn't really have a choice. Besides, she's kept the curse a secret so I trusted her. But it is a secret, you can't tell anyone." She took a step towards him, imploring, "Please, Yuki."

It was rare that Usagi used his first name, and the sudden impact of the situation hit him. His younger sister was the super heroine that roamed the streets of Tokyo saving people's lives. Years ago she had been removed from a life of being cursed, but to what? He remembered when he found out being incredibly saddened, and yet somewhat envious of the normal life that she was going to have.

The irony of the situation was staggering.

"Yuki?" Usagi tilted her head slightly. Yuki had been standing with the oddest expression on his face for the past several minutes, neglecting to respond to her request at all. This time he snapped back into reality, his violet eyes meeting hers again. There looked to be some sort of new found revelation there, and her brow creased in confusion.

Then he did the last thing she may have expected. He crossed the few feet between them and pulled her into a hug. She lost her breath completely. Tears stung in her eyes. The last time she had hugged Yuki they were barely tall enough to reach Shigure's waist. The Yuki today was not the same one in her memories and she had struggled to establish some sort of relationship between them, even if it wasn't a comparison to the inseparable bond they had as children.

But in that moment, everything just clicked into place.

"Hey are you okay?" Then she remembered the aching in her bones from her recent skirmish with the forces of evil. Yuki frowned down at her, his face lined with concern.

"Yeah, just a bit sore. We'll talk more tomorrow, okay?" He looked reluctant, but conceded and helped her to the bed despite her insistence that she was fine. When he ducked out of the room, she smiled into her pillow, feeling another huge weight shift off of her shoulders.

**xXx**

_One, two. One, two. One, two. _Usagi tilted her head as the mantra repeated in her head. It was calming. She sat at the desk in her room, one of her photo albums splayed open in front of her, the lone one that was not already full. In her lap she held the stack of photographs she'd stolen from Shigure. One by one she removed them from the pile and slid them into place on the pages, protected by a thin sheet of plastic.

When she finished she tucked the album away again and reached across the desk to grab the new frame she had bought. With slow precision she removed the backing, the spare papers, and the picture that accompanied the frame of pretty models smiling happily together that probably never met before that particular shoot. Looks could be deceiving. She placed her picture in its position and returned the backing before perching the new item on the corner of her desk.

Three silver headed siblings stared up from the little glass window, Ayame laughing, Yuki annoyed, and herself, slightly dazed. Her eyes rested on the broach that twinkled up at her from its spot near the picture frame. Surreally she noted that Tohru and Yuki now knew her secret identity. She glanced to the right of the broach, at the glimmering silver snowflake with its delicate chain winding behind it.

_One, two. One two. One, two._

Gathering herself, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door. As she stepped out of Shigure's house, her blue eyes found the murky skies. _It looks like rain_.

"Are you going to stand there all morning or what?" Usagi heard Kyou's voice echo from the entrance hall behind her. She glanced at him over her shoulder, still putting on his shoes. His tone lacked the usual annoyed edge that should've accompanied his statement.

"Or what," she quipped, moving from the doorway as Tohru joined the two of them. They walked on to school, oddly silent, and Usagi parted ways with them, heading for her homeroom. She slid into her desk in front of Hatsuharu, trying to pretend she didn't notice he was avoiding her. Momiji and Hotaru carried on cheerful conversation, but not without the worried glances at the two silent teenagers.

At lunch, Hotaru and Usagi ventured away from their usual meeting spot to talk alone. The silver haired girl explained calmly how Yuki had stumbled upon her secret, but not to worry about it. After all, her family was well rehearsed in the art of keeping secrets.

"That's fine. I'm more worried about you and Hatsuharu." Hotaru broached the subject gently, noticing the flicker of sadness that instantly invaded Usagi's expression. "Did you guys have an argument? What happened?"

Usagi looked skyward, sorting her thoughts, before she responded. "There's a part of Hatsuharu that can never forgive Akito for what happened to Rin. Now that I've helped Akito and I stand behind her, he can't decide what to do. He's angry at me, I guess. I can't really blame him for that." She paused, and then admitted in a small voice, "After that first day in the hospital, he never came back to visit me."

Hotaru reached out to grab Usagi's hand, and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll come around. He just needs time."

"I hope so."

**xXx**

Please don't kill me, though you have every right. It's been over a year, even I can't believe it. This is kind of short to top all that off. Thank you for continued patience and reviewing even though I'm awful. I'll try to be better. Thanks for reading.

SachiNyoko


	21. Chapter 21

Yuki paused in his stride as the person he'd been seeking finally came into view. He didn't even want to attempt to count the times doubt had plagued him since he'd resolved to come and do this. Yet as he stood with the familiar crop of dark rooted white hair in his vision, the emotion increased tenfold.

Still, he thought of Usagi and all that had happened since he'd discovered her secret. They had talked; she explained her life as a senshi and told him all about her friends, even about her fiancé and why she had been so devastated by his death. On some levels it scared him how different, but still so very alike, Usagi was from the little girl he had known as Ame.

With his determination renewed, he moved forward to sit next to Hatsuharu. The younger boy finally looked up to acknowledge Yuki but said nothing. It took a few moments for Yuki to realize that he didn't intend to say anything at all, so he began, "I haven't seen you at the house recently," he paused, gathering his nerve, then added, "I'm sure Usagi misses you."

This finally brought Hatsuharu from his stupor. He looked at Yuki with what must have been disbelief, but the silver haired boy could hardly blame him for that. He didn't quite believe what he was doing himself. But past this brief moment of emotion, Hatsuharu just shrugged and continued his listless staring.

Yuki frowned, and thought of what to say next. He was sure he'd outlined this entire conversation in his head several times, but that detailed dialogue was lost to him now. Finally fed up with his inner struggle, he decided to say what needed to be said.

"I know that losing Rin was hard on you, Haru." This caused the white haired teen to flinch, but Yuki continued anyway. There was no turning back at this point. "But if you keep this up, you're going to lose Usagi too."

Without another word, Yuki rose and left.

**xXx**

Usagi sighed, tapping her pencil against the sheet of paper in front of her and wishing that her studying would magically do itself. The end of the school year was upon them, and though Usagi dreaded exams, she was grateful now for the decent distraction they provided.

She'd learned that Tohru was nearly as hopeless as she was when it came to exams, so both Kyou and Yuki had set to helping the two of them study and hopefully avoid any retakes.

Their study session, taking place around the dining table, was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tohru rose and disappeared from the room, before returning a moment later and nodding toward Usagi.

"It's for you." The silver haired girl frowned, but also stood and made her way past Tohru to the door. When she met the pair of garnet eyes waiting for her in the entrance way, her stomach did a strange flip flop inside of her.

"Setsuna?" Nodding, Sestuna couldn't help but notice the suddenly anxious look on Usagi's face. It was to be expected. The last few times she'd come by it was only to bring bad news.

"It's not anything bad this time," Setsuna assured, making Usagi flush with embarrassment. "In fact, I think you'll be pleased with what I'm here to tell you. It's about the recent youma attacks."

"Oh yeah, Hotaru said you saw something go through the time gates. Did you finally track it down?" Sestuna gave in to an amused smile at this. This piqued Usagi's interest and she waited for Setsuna to speak again.

"I'm afraid not. That was a lie. I was bringing the youma through the time stream myself. I knew that it was the quickest way to reunite you with your senshi." She paused, her garnet eyes looking thoughtful. "I did worry that someone would get hurt, but I've never known Sailor Moon to let anything like that happen."

Usagi flushed, still trying to comprehend what she was being told. After a moment, she asked, "So there really isn't a new enemy?"

"No, none whatsoever. You can retire your broach once more." Setsuna smiled, and then said, "Do try to keep this between us though. I think I covered my tracks fairly well but I'd hate to get in trouble."

"Of course," Usagi nodded and, unable to contain herself, pulled Setsuna into a hug, "Thank you Setsuna."

**xXx**

A few days later, Usagi sat at her desk in her room poring over her study guide once again. The rest of their group had resigned the activity for the night, but she knew she had to do all she could if she planned on passing. Not to mention that the more she filled her head with math problems the less it was filled with Hatsuharu.

She knew that she was starting to worry everyone in the house again, but she couldn't help it. She missed Hatsuharu terribly. He had been beside her all this time, making her feel safe, comforting her. Now it felt like a whole chunk of her was missing. Sardonically she wondered if this is how he had felt the first time she left.

In fact the more she dwelled on it, the more Usagi realized that she loved Hatsuharu, and it made it hurt that much worse.

Still she tried to fill up her time with other things. Tohru had diligently been trying to teach her how to make rice balls and she was starting to get better. It was virtually impossible not to be cheerful around Tohru, so that was helping her quite a bit.

She'd been talking more and more with Yuki. It seemed the sudden revelation of her secret had really bridged the gap between them. They were becoming closer, even if it wasn't the same as when they were children. Usagi had resigned to the fact that it would probably never be quite that way again. But in a way that made her happy, because Yuki was a stronger person now and didn't really need her to support him anymore.

These thoughts continued to swirl around in her head. She didn't even hear when someone entered the room and closed the door behind them. They stood there for several moments, somewhat amused, until finally deciding to clear their throat.

Usagi visibly jumped and whirled in her chair. When she saw Hatsuharu standing across the room, she leapt to her feet and made like she was about to rush to him. Then suddenly she stopped, remembering herself. Her hand rested on the back of her chair, which she used as some support, and she waited for him to speak.

"When you left, I started following Yuki around a lot. I don't know if he told you." He had mentioned it, but Usagi didn't say anything, unsure of where this was going. "People thought it was because I admired him or something, I don't know. But it was just because being with him reminded me of you, that you were real, that you were still out there somewhere."

"Haru," Usagi stepped forward, but that's as far as she got before Hatsuharu crossed the distance himself. He put his hands on either side of her face, free of their usual gloves. His fingers were warm against her cheeks, and she couldn't move.

"Yuki finally came and talked some sense into me. I've been stupid, just avoiding it all this time. I wanted to tell you the first time I saw you back at the main house, but you ran off before I could. And then your fiancé died and it didn't seem like the right thing to do."

"Tell me what, Haru?" Usagi couldn't take it anymore. It was like he had a grip on her heart, and the longer he talked the tighter it got. She wanted to believe that he meant what she thought he meant, but she wouldn't trust herself to think that. She wasn't exactly unbiased.

But she hoped that he would say the right thing, because if not she would probably become hysterical on the spot, and the thought of that was dreadful.

Finally he tilted her head up so their eyes met; his beautiful chocolate brown boring straight into her stormy blue. "That I love you, Ame."

Usagi didn't have any time to react. Hatsuharu leaned in and pressed his lips gently over hers. She reached out and grabbed onto him as her knees gave out underneath her. He seemed to instinctively understand this, for he moved one hand from her face to wrap his arm around her.

There was no sense of time in that instant. It could have been moments, or hours, or a whole day for all she knew. Each time she pulled away for air he seldom gave her the chance to breathe before descending upon her again. Usagi realized that for the first time since this whole thing started, since she remembered being a Sohma, she felt completely and undeniably happy.

She moved her hand that had been clinging to his shirt up to touch his face and finally tangled her fingers through his hair. For an instant she feared this all might just be her imagination, or a wonderful dream that she would wake up from at any moment.

It was Shigure who ruled out that possibility. At some point over the past few minutes he had snuck in the room, and the bright flash of his camera momentarily dazed her. She broke away from Hatsuharu in confusion, but as she heard his familiar cackling retreating down the hall, the situation hit her full force.

"That is one dead dog," she said flatly moving around Hatsuharu with the full intent to kill. The white haired teen wasn't so eager to let her go, grabbing her arm and pulling her against him again.

"Haru, I have to go beat Shigure senseless," Usagi whined, struggling to break free again. Hatsuharu completely ignored her, instead dipping down to press his lips against her neck. His breath tickled her throat and, unable to help it, she turned a violent shade of red. "Haru, stop it."

He moved upward, placing kisses along her jaw, but before he could claim her mouth again, she twisted away and scurried down the hall, not unlike a rabbit. Hatsuharu grinned after her before slowly following. It was mere moments before he heard Usagi yelling, and as he approached the scene he saw the silver headed girl pummeling Shigure with her fists.

"You stupid jerk! Give it over!" Shigure was beyond amused from the looks of it and holding the camera well out of the short girl's reach. Tohru and Kyou appeared from the kitchen, wondering what all the commotion was about. Kyou smirked with amusement as he watched Shigure being attacked by the rabbit, but Tohru looked on with worry.

"What did that idiot do now?" Kyou asked when he noticed Hatsuharu standing there. He glanced over at Kyou before shrugging.

"He caught us in the act."

"What act?" Tohru asked, genuinely confused. Hatsuharu grinned and made to respond when Kyou intruded.

"Don't you dare say another word," the orange haired boy warned, glaring for good measure.

"Oh my god, it wasn't like that! Kyou, you're a pervert!" Usagi yelled with annoyance as she continued to grab for the camera. Kyou looked truly abashed at this, and Hatsuharu couldn't help but laugh at his expression. Shigure was in hysterics after this exchange and could no longer fend off the hyper rabbit. She practically climbed over Shigure and finally snatched the camera from his hand.

She was a little bewildered when Hatsuharu grabbed her from behind and dragged her away, but really couldn't care less as she clutched her prize to her chest and laughed triumphantly.

"What's going on down here?" Yuki had finally appeared from upstairs, taking in the sight before him. Tohru was looking around in confusion, her usual anxious self. Kyou looked positively scandalized. Shigure was decidedly disheveled but laughing uncontrollably. Hatsuharu had Usagi around the waist, and the rabbit was clinging to what looked to be one of Shigure's infamous one-use camera's, grinning insanely.

When his sister noticed him, however, she wrestled free of Hatsuharu and ran over to hug him as if he wasn't confused enough already.

"Thank you so much, Oniisan." She spoke low enough so only he could hear before she released him, without explanation, and returned to Hatsuharu. But he understood then, as Hatsuharu moved to claim her waist again and she shoved his hands away trying to look annoyed.

"I think I want that," the ox declared, reaching for the camera. Usagi appeared appalled before she ducked out of the way and moved farther away from him.

"Absolutely not."

"Come on, it'll be a good picture." Hatsuharu protested, reaching for it again. Usagi flushed and moved out of the way, shaking her head negative. Now Yuki was beginning to wonder what was on this camera that had had his sister so worked up to begin with. As she moved past him to get further away from Hatsuharu, he reached out and claimed the camera for himself.

Usagi glimpsed at her hands in confusion, and then looked over at him, horrified. "Yuki!"

"What's on it?" He asked, looking on as Usagi turned various shades of red. It was hard to determine whether she was angry or embarrassed, but finally she threw her hands in the air.

"I give up! Do what you want with the stupid camera." And the rabbit stomped off, back up the stairs in a huff. "I've never been so mortified in my life."

Kyou and Tohru seemed to decide that the entertainment was now over, for they both retreated back to the kitchen. The brunette girl still appeared to have no clue as to what had actually taken place, but she didn't worry herself over it for very long. When it was just the three juunishi, Hatsuharu turned toward Yuki in all seriousness.

"What do you want for the camera?" Yuki blinked and looked down at the plastic object in his hands, somewhat torn. He wasn't entirely sure at this point if he actually wanted to know what was on it.

"I'll trade you all the blackmail I have on you." Shigure offered, finally composed and straightening out his clothes. This offer really did intrigue Yuki, for he wasn't really sure of half the things Shigure may have on him and wouldn't mind gaining possession of all of it. Of course, knowing Shigure he would probably keep extra copies of everything for himself anyway, rendering the bargain useless.

"Why do you even want that picture? You really are a pervert." Hatsuharu admonished before turning back to Yuki. "You can't give it to him for the sake of decency."

"What exactly is on this camera?" Yuki demanded again. He never would get his answer, for at that moment Usagi pounced from her hiding place near the stairs and snatched the camera back from him, running off before any of them could give chase. It seemed that when she had stormed off, she actually snuck back down to carry out her surprisingly effective sneak attack.

"That settles that," Shigure shrugged, turning back to continue his writing, Hatsuharu shrugged as well and walked off. Only Yuki remained there, perturbed and extremely dissatisfied.

**xXx**

Hotaru was positively in hysterics as Usagi relayed the whole story back to her the following day at school, in one of the classes the two girls shared without Hatsuharu or Momiji. Even Usagi laughed on occasion. Though she'd been frustrated and embarrassed at the time, the humor in the whole scene was not lost on her now.

When the violet eyed girl finally stopped laughing, she asked, "So when are you picking up the prints?"

Usagi blushed then, because she hadn't even admitted to taking the camera to the photo center, but she hadn't been able to help it. She was too curious as to what the picture actually looked like. "I'm picking them up after school. You want to come?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Hotaru grinned.

So they met up at the gate after school and headed into town. It didn't take them very long to reach the photo center that Usagi had dropped the camera off at, and she handed the money over in exchange for the envelope of photos.

The camera had been full already when she turned it in, so she flipped through the usual junk that Shigure had in his film, knowing that the picture she sought would be at the bottom. When the image finally presented itself, her face flushed an ungodly red. Hotaru, knowing the picture had been found, leaned over Usagi's shoulder to look.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," she commented, laughing as Usagi scowled at her.

"I told you it would be a good picture," said a new voice, as a familiar gloved hand reached around and snatched the picture right out of her fingers. Mouth hanging open, she whirled to face Hatsuharu so fast she nearly toppled Hotaru over, who had been standing rather close to her.

"You followed me here? You jerk," though she tried, Usagi couldn't bring herself to act truly upset over it. Hotaru laughed, and then announced she needed to get home before Haruka flipped and sent a search party after her. Once the girl was gone, Usagi turned back to Hatsuharu with a frown. "Can I have it back now?"

"I think Yuki wants to see. He was awfully curious, wasn't he?" Hatsuharu couldn't suppress his grin as Usagi's mouth dropped open.

"You wouldn't! Give it here!" The rabbit practically pounced on him in her attempt to get the photo back in her possession. However, that was Hatsuharu's goal to begin with, and he caught her around the waist before she even realized what she was doing. But with his arm supporting her, she quickly realized how close they were thanks to her overzealousness.

"You know, I'm not sure I like this side of you," she complained, still reaching for the picture and trying to ignore him as he sought to silence her with his lips. "Cut it out, we're in a store."

"You jumped me, as I recall." Hatsuharu teased, but conceded and sat her down, returning the picture to her. "I wouldn't show that to Yuki anyway. I'm not looking to incite his wrath."

"What, you think he'd beat you up for kissing me? Please," Usagi rolled her eyes and tucked the pictures back in their envelope while Hatsuharu shrugged. "Anyway, I have to go meet Ayame. See you."

Usagi turned and made to leave the shop, but failed to lose Hatsuharu. Intrigued, he trailed the blue eyed girl as she headed to her older brother's shop. "Why are you meeting him?"

"I don't know. He called this morning and said he had something for me at the shop. I told him I'd come by this afternoon." She raised her eyebrows when Hatsuharu laughed, and asked, "What?"

"You don't know what kind of shop Ayame has, do you?" He finally asked, the mirth still showing in his expression. Usagi frowned, still missing the point.

"I only know he makes women's clothes. What's so funny?" Hatsuharu laughed again but didn't answer her question, only insisted that he was coming along. She sighed but decided not to pursue it further, trying to ignore the amused expression that covered his face for the duration of their trip.

The shop came too quickly for her tastes as she was still trying to figure reasons why Hatsuharu would draw humor from the situation. She pushed her way in, bracing herself for anything and everything. The shop was quiet for all of two seconds, before she heard Ayame exclaim, "She's here!"

Her silver haired older sibling appeared from what she guessed was a back room, or perhaps a dressing room, looking all degrees of excited. Usagi, however, hardly noticed him. Her eyes were slowly moving around the shop, taking in the various mannequins, her face slowly draining of color. When a brunette appeared shortly after, clad in a maid uniform, she thought she might faint.

"Oh dear," Ayame's exuberance was short lived when he spotted Hatsuharu there as well, looking down at the shorter girl with pure amusement. "Mine-chan it appears I am too late. The young lovers have already reconciled."

"Oh. My. God." As fast as she had paled, Usagi now turned toward Ayame with her face the color of a ripened tomato. She pointed an accusing finger at him, before saying, "You're an even bigger pervert than Shigure! This is awful. What exactly were you planning to give me, anyway? A Playboy bunny outfit?"

Hatsuharu's eyebrows shot upward. Ayame laughed jovially, completely brushing her remarks aside. "That would be fitting! I was thinking more of a nautical theme myself. Doesn't the sailor girl match with her exquisitely, Mine-chan?"

Usagi glowered while the bespectacled girl nodded enthusiastically. She looked utterly horrified when Mine added, "She may make a cute maid as well, don't you think?"

"Oh, you are always partial to the maid, dear." Ayame said dismissively, sizing Usagi up as he continued to think.

"I am not putting on anything in this shop," she said flatly, before turning her angry look toward Hatsuharu, "And you! You knew about this! No wonder you were so excited to come, pervert."

"Now, now Chibi-chan," Ayame said as he appeared before her and pulled her away. With some assistance from Mine they wrestled her toward the dressing rooms. "I am your older brother and would never dress you in anything inappropriate." She seriously doubted that. "Let Mine assist you. I've already picked it out especially for you. Try it on."

An instant later Usagi found herself in the dressing room alone with the cheerfully smiling brunette. She gulped, looking around like a trapped animal, her only means of escape effectively blocked.

"Miss Usagi, please. I promise you there's nothing you would find obscene about the dress Ayame has picked out." Mine was trying to assure her, obviously. She looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "In truth I think he made it for you. It's been in the back for a very long time. He's never let anyone else so much as try it on."

Usagi felt a strange pang in her heart at these words, and the way Mine's brown eyes shown with fondness as she talked of Ayame. Unconsciously, she smiled. "Okay, I'll try it on."

It was several moments of definite struggle; all doubts about her needing help were completely absolved. Finally Mine moved aside with an approving smile so she could look in the mirror.

She couldn't squash the gasp that escaped her. The dress was pure white, all taffeta and lace. It fit, as Mine suggested, like it was made for her. She felt like she'd stepped from a Victorian painting, or a Jane Austen novel. She almost looked like—

"A princess." Usagi gave a start. Her reverie had made her forget about Mine being there completely. But the pigtailed girl was still looking down at her, smiling gently. "You look just like a princess, Miss Usagi."

The rabbit gave a watery smile in return, and then hugged the other girl, effectively startling her. "Thank you. I'm glad Ayame has someone like you."

Mine's surprise dissolved once again into a smile as she hugged her back. "You are just like he described you."

Usagi couldn't question this before she was being shoved out the door, right into the center of attention. Her face reddened again as she glanced up at her brother and Hatsuharu.

"Ah it really is perfect!" Ayame exclaimed, coming forward for a closer inspection of his handiwork. He circled her several times before nodding his approval. She shook her head as he continued to rant of his genius and looked over toward Hatsuharu sheepishly. It startled her to find him right next to her already. He reached a hand to touch her face, tracing the line of her jaw with one gloved finger, the leather feeling rough against her skin. She blushed under his scrutinizing gaze before he leaned in for a kiss.

"See, my plan would have worked perfectly!" Ayame's loud voice efficiently cut through the moment, and they pulled apart as he sighed dejectedly, "It's a shame you had already made up."

In what may be described as a lapse in insanity versus sanity, given Ayame's peculiar personality, he suddenly sobered and placed a hand on the top of her head. He smiled and, with some affection, said, "Little Ame, all grown up."

**xXx**

Placing the bunch of daffodils on the table, Usagi smiled as she looked at them, their cheerful yellow petals stretching outward. She'd only been passing the flower shop on the way here. A memory gripped her, pulling her in, of a long ago day looking at all of the flowers with Mamoru, the kiss he'd dodged in front of the forget-me-nots thanks to her nosy and lovable friends.

The Xenian blossom.

The young florist had approached her; she'd been staring at the daffodils, and didn't she know they stood for honesty and forgiveness? She'd smiled then, remembering the language of flowers, forget-me-nots stood for true love. What a nostalgic moment, running into the present, into forgiveness. Usagi glanced up as Akito finally entered the room.

It had been Shigure, hadn't it? He'd come in that strange brooding mood that sometimes came over him, so unlike his usual self. He'd gently suggested that maybe she should come and visit Akito. Which must have meant that Akito wanted to see her but was too afraid or perhaps just shy to come and seek her out.

"These are for you," the silver haired girl smiled as her dark haired companion looked truly surprised, maybe even a little delighted. When had Akito ever received flowers? Just random, happy flowers? There was a brief moment of quiet when Akito went to fetch a vase and fresh water. She returned and set them in the center of the table. The yellow blooms faced downward with their weight, as though they were studying the tabletop. "How are things?"

Akito shifted and turned her eyes down, studying the tabletop as though she were one of the daffodil blooms. "Of course everything with Shigure is good; almost perfect." A wistful smile touched her face as she talked of him. How long Usagi had waited to see that smile.

She cut into Akito's going further to recount the crazy story of the camera, just to keep that smile in place a little longer. Maybe just to avoid the painful truth she knew was coming next. But it came eventually anyway.

"Everyone else is pretty much the same." Akito paused, considering. "Well, it's hard to tell with Hatori. He acts indifferent to everything as it is."

"Even I have problems understanding what Hatori is feeling," Usagi conceded, remembering again. Remembering she used to think that the stoic doctor hated her for making Yuki so sick all the time. They settled into another difficult silence.

"I don't know what to do. I feel like I should apologize, should say I'm sorry." She stopped again, her dark eyes narrowed with confusion and perhaps agony. "But that's not nearly enough. For what I've done, it isn't nearly enough. For Rin--"

Akito was shaking, but Usagi couldn't bring herself to offer any comfort. Just hearing the girl's name was like rubbing sandpaper against a raw spot on her heart, on her very soul. "Maybe it isn't enough, but maybe it's also all that you can do."

She stopped in what she wanted to say, her blue eyes fixed on the yellow daffodils, drooping, almost sad. As though they could guess that the honesty and forgiveness they stood for may be impossible here. And did honesty really go hand in hand with forgiveness? But for honesty's sake, she continued.

"It's true, Akito, that you've hurt so many, and so very deeply. Pain like that isn't easy to heal, isn't mended with just words. It takes time, so much time." The look on Akito's face was heart wrenching. Though she'd battled with her reasons for helping this sad and fragile girl, she realized then that it was true all along. She really loved Akito.

That love almost prevented her from continuing, from saying anything else because she knew it would only hurt her, and she loved her so. But the daffodils continued to occupy her vision, bowing toward the table, pleading with her to be honest.

"For some of them, Akito, there will never be enough time. Some of them will possibly never forgive you." Usagi moved around the table to enfold the now sobbing girl in her arms, trying to bring her comfort after delivering the blows herself. "But even if that's true, Akito, you have to forgive yourself. You have to move forward."

The daffodils would be pleased with her, for honesty and forgiveness. Wouldn't they?

**xXx**

I'm going to tell you now that I wanted to keep going. So many times during writing this chapter I thought, okay, it's over and the rest of this goes to the next chapter. But I kept going for all of you. :)

This last part is a bit odd for me. It's always a new and apprehensive experience to write scenes about Akito. I suppose it took on a life of its own, and it kind of stands apart from the rest of the chapter, or maybe even the rest of the story. But I loved it enough that it would've been too sad to remove it.

The chapter is a full 11 pages without author's notes, so be proud of me. I had fun writing this chapter, and I hope you had fun reading it!

-SachiNyoko


	22. Chapter 22

"Did we not have this conversation before?" Usagi did her best to shrink into her pillow while Hatori glared down at her. She had the decency to look sheepish as the thermometer beeped and he retracted it from her ear. "102."

"I'm sorry, Hatori. But really, I blame the exams. I was totally stressed out over that." The doctor shook his head as he put his things away.

"I'm sure that was the only reason. You should know the drill by now, get some rest." Hatori paused and glanced at the girl again, "How did you do?"

Usagi beamed at the question, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "I passed! Granted it was barely in a couple of subjects, but no retakes! I owe it all to Yuki and Kyou."

"Glad to hear it. Take care of yourself, Usagi." As Hatori exited, Usagi kept her blue eyes riveted to the spot he disappeared, her gaze speculative. When Hatsuharu walked in a few moments later, the look vanished, but not before he'd seen it.

"What?"

"Does Hatori seem a bit different to you?" He crossed the room and motioned for her to scoot over, then plopped down on the bed before she had time to move, effectively squishing an arm and a leg. She frowned and tried to shove him off, but he wouldn't budge. "Get off, I'm highly contagious."

"Not really, no. Why do you ask?" Usagi puffed up her cheeks in frustration as he ignored her second request and tried with renewed vigor to shove him off the bed. Finally, he moved to her desk chair and offered a lopsided smile, "If you can still get that annoyed you aren't too sick."

"You're impossible." She took a moment to rearrange her pillows before shrugging, "I must have imagined it. It wouldn't be the first time. I thought Yuki liked Tohru, but now I'm sure he doesn't. Not in that way." She frowned as she thought, and added, "He does like someone though, I'm sure of it; maybe someone in the student council with him? He spends a lot of time there."

"I'm sure Yuki will appreciate your speculations about his love life." Hatsuharu commented dryly, earning another frown from the rabbit on the bed. She twisted locks of silver around her fingers as she continued thinking, her gaze twisting into a smile again, this one of pure mischief.

"I am sure Kyou likes Tohru." Hatsuharu shook his head in amusement, but conceded in trying to persuade Usagi away from her venture. He knew her well enough to realize she would do what she wanted despite his perfectly logical protests. Her smile dissolved again as she pondered. "I don't know how Tohru feels though; she's always hard to read."

"You want to set up Kyou and Tohru?" Hatsuharu spoke up after a moment, his voice sounding doubtful. He figured as a friend of the parties involved, it was his responsibility to at least attempt to divert Usagi from whatever crazy schemes she had in store.

"Well Kyou's way too shy to ever make the first move." Usagi responded matter-of-factly.

"But you aren't even sure about what Tohru thinks. And to be fair, there's no way you can be completely sure that Kyou really likes Tohru to begin with." Hatsuharu glanced over at the silver-haired girl, whose cheeks were puffed up in frustration.

"You have no sense of adventure."

"You should concentrate on yourself more. Yuki is the healthy one now and you're always sick." He grinned at the glare she sent him and had plenty of time to duck under the pillow she sent flying at his head.

"Well maybe if you left I could get some rest." Though said in jest, Hatsuharu could tell that she really was tired. He rose from his seat and retrieved the pillow from the other side of the room.

"Fair enough. Go to sleep." He turned and headed for the door while Usagi rearranged herself in the bed. When she glanced up, however, she noticed him still in the doorway, his back to her but his whole body rigid. She was about to ask what was wrong when he disappeared from the threshold. Moments later, when Akito entered the room, she figured it out.

"Akito! How have you been?" She sat up once more and smiled at the dark haired girl.

"Better than you it would seem, as you're sick again. Shigure told me you did well on your exams." Usagi moved to get up, but Akito shook her head, "Please don't get up, you should be resting anyway. I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I did what you asked. I came to drop these off."

Usagi watched Akito deposit the envelope in her hand on the desk, silent. A strange feeling settled in her stomach as she looked at the harmless paper object resting there, but she pushed it away and smiled at Akito. The older girl appeared uncertain as she said, "Are you sure you don't want-"

"I'm sure, Akito. Thank you so much for doing this. It means more than you know." Akito nodded, still looking torn.

"I'll leave you now, please get some rest and get better." Akito left, pulling the door closed behind her. Usagi sunk down in her bed again and tried to get comfortable, but inevitably her gaze fell on the desk again. Eventually she drifted off, her head full of restless thoughts.

**xXx**

Yuki could sense something was off the moment he walked in the door. He supposed it was intuition, but he believed that the waves of tension that hit him as he entered were palpable. Could he do it all over, good sense would have compelled him to turn and leave again, returning to a hopefully more friendly environment later. Instead he continued inside and met the unpleasant scene.

When he walked in, whatever words or actions that had been taking place came to a halt. The two people in the room looked at him, startled as he was himself. Then Hatsuharu appeared relieved, and Usagi's expression took on some degree of guilt. Yuki frowned and suddenly wished he were anywhere else.

"Thank god, maybe you can talk some sense into her." Hatsuharu sounded extremely upset, and Yuki looked between the two apprehensively, wondering if he was about to be dragged headfirst into the couple's first argument. Usagi studied the floor and said nothing, though her eyes were red-rimmed and her cheeks flush. Before Yuki could protest, give a terrible excuse and hightail it toward his bedroom, Hatsuharu continued, "Tell her she can't fly to America alone."

This stopped Yuki's mental escape planning immediately as he turned toward his sister in shock. She finally looked up at him, her face a mixture of stubbornness and guilt as she dared him to try and stop her. "What?" It was the only comprehensible statement he could muster.

"Since we're on summer break, I wanted to visit America, just for a couple days." Her eyes dropped to the floor again, and Yuki could see it was an attempt to hide more tears that she couldn't stop. Her voice was raspy with emotion as she added, "It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Usagi. It's stupid and dangerous. Just let me come with you."

"I don't want you to come, Haru. Please." Usagi turned her gaze back to him, pleading with him to understand. Some part of Hatsuharu must have been hurt by this, but it was trumped by his anger and frustration. He looked like he was on the brink of switching to his Black persona.

As Yuki looked to Usagi again, the pieces clicked into place. She wanted to go to America to visit her fiancé's grave. That's why she didn't want to take Hatsuharu. He looked between the two of them, and then said the only thing he could think of, "What if I go with her?"

Usagi appeared surprised, and then grateful. "Would you do that? Don't you have plans for the break already?" Yuki shook his head. Hatsuharu studied the two of them for a moment, and they were silent while they waited for him to respond.

"That's fine." He spoke without any real feeling before turning to leave. Yuki watched him go before he turned back to Usagi, who was wiping determinedly at her eyes.

"You have to tell him the real reason, Usagi." Her expression quickly reverted to guilt as she avoided looking at him once more.

"I'll talk to Akito about getting another ticket. Do you have a passport?" Yuki shook his head. Usagi moved past him, toward the phone, letting the moment pass. Before he retreated to his room to ponder this sudden development, Usagi turned back and offered him a smile. "Thank you, Oniisan."

**xXx**

"Haru?" Usagi stepped lightly toward the spot where Hatsuharu had chosen to seclude himself. It had taken her the better part of the day to track him down, and even now she was sure that the only reason she'd found him was because he let himself be discovered. She sat in the space next to him but couldn't bring herself to look in his direction just yet. "I know you're still upset but please listen to me."

It had already been two days since their argument and they hadn't spoken at all. She knew that Yuki was right, but it was hard to find the words. "You and I, Haru, we've both lost someone very important to us." Usagi paused, tangling her fingers together in her lap and trying her best not to fidget. "Someone we loved very much."

"What are you getting at?" Though he probably intended to sound angry, Hatsuharu couldn't muster the effort behind the emotion. He sounded flat as he turned his brown eyes on Usagi.

"I'm not just going to America. I'm visiting Harvard Medical School in Boston, where Mamoru died. I want to say goodbye." She looked over at Hatsuharu finally, but he wasn't looking at her. "I guess you could say I'm looking for closure. I just think it would be better if I did it on my own. That's the only reason I didn't want you to come, Haru."

Reaching out, she touched his hand. He turned back toward her, his expression pained, and she threw her arms around him, unable to stop the tears that flooded her eyes. "I love you. Please understand."

"I do."

**xXx**

Yuki made sure their carry-on bags were secured before he took his seat next to Usagi. The silver haired girl was in a duel with the window blind, trying to raise it so she could watch their ascent when the plane took off. Despite the cloud of gloom and sobriety that had been hanging over her for the past few days and the heaviness of the task ahead of them, she had been childishly excited since they arrived at the airport. In typical Usagi fashion she had gushed over nearly everything they saw with an enthusiasm befitting someone half her age.

Yuki did share some of her sentiment, though maybe not as intense. He had never flown anywhere in his life, let alone somewhere like America. He shook his head in amusement as Usagi finally triumphed and pressed her face against the tiny round window to look outside.

"This is so exciting!" Looking on it now, it was a good thing that he was accompanying Usagi. When it came to certain areas Usagi was mature enough, but simpler things like finding her way or the appropriate regard of strangers often escaped her grasp. He worried about her endless trust in people and could certainly understand Hatsuharu's reaction to the thought of her taking this trip alone. Not to mention that Usagi's English was decent at best and he highly doubted there would be a plethora of Japanese speakers in Boston to help her along.

Yuki snapped out of his reverie to realize that Usagi was babbling nonstop to the poor flight attendant, who was nodding politely, and smiling, though clearly looking for some means of escape. "Usagi, I'm pretty sure she has other passengers to attend to."

"Oh, you're right! I'm sorry, thank you so much!" As soon as Usagi turned back toward the window to watch the people moving around on the landing strip below, the woman rushed off, and Yuki had to resist the urge to laugh. It only got worse as they prepared for takeoff; she could barely buckle her seatbelt for her excitement and managed to bounce in her seat throughout the safety rundown. Yuki hoped nothing went wrong because Usagi would have no idea what to do.

After they were in the air, however, she began to settle down. He imagined the reality of the situation came back to her somewhat and she became more subdued as the time went by. When the flight attendant came around to offer them a pillow, she looked concerned that the bubbly girl was suddenly so quiet.

Yuki couldn't bring himself to say anything, so he tried to get comfortable for the long flight ahead of them. Just as he was dozing off, however, Usagi spoke up. "Do you believe in soul mates, Yuki?"

She finally turned her blue eyes from the window to study him while she waited on an answer. He blinked the sleep from his eyes as he contemplated the question. "I'm not sure. I suppose I never gave it much though before."

"I used to, but I'm not sure anymore." She looked back to the window, and Yuki couldn't decide whether she sounded sad or just tired. "I never told anyone about this, but..." Usagi went quiet again and Yuki, once again, found himself in a place of discomfort. He was not, he felt, a good confidant in any situation. He never knew what to say to comfort someone. He was already getting nervous when Usagi turned toward him again.

"You already know the story. Mamoru and I were in love in a different time, we died together only to be reborn and find each other again. It's a real life fairy tale in every sense." Clearly she wasn't concerned about eavesdroppers. As Yuki glanced around he could see she had little cause to be; everyone was either getting some shut eye during the sixteen hour flight or had their headphones on watching the in-flight movie.

"But it was never the same this time. We both knew it. The memories I have of our time on the moon are wonderful. The people who were Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity loved each other more than life itself." She glanced down, picking at her nails distractedly as she talked. Yuki was concerned, but at least grateful that she didn't need him to say anything, just to listen. He could certainly do that much for her.

"But the people we were in this time were different. We cared about each other but we were never in love, not like those past selves. I don't know who we were maintaining the story for in the end. I just," she paused, seemingly to rein in her emotions, before continuing, "I just wished we would have talked about it. I feel guilty because I have the chance to love Hatsuharu and Mamoru never got the chance to find that kind of love. Now he never will."

"Usagi," Yuki reached over and touched Usagi's hand, drawing her blue eyes up to look at him once more, now filled with tears she was struggling to hold in. "I never knew Mamoru, but if he cared about you even half as much as you cared about him then he wouldn't want you to feel like that. He would be happy for you; he would want you to have this."

A smile broke out on her face, albeit watery, and since she couldn't hug him without a degree of awkwardness caused by the arm of the chair separating them, she squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Oniisan."

**xXx**

"You didn't tell your friends you were coming here? Rei and the others?" Yuki stood close to Usagi at baggage claim, trying not to be nervous. Logan International Airport was packed full of more people than he had ever seen in one place.

"Hm? Oh, no, I didn't tell them. They would have insisted on coming, and Rei never takes no for an answer. I'll have to apologize to them later, but this is something I have to do alone."

Yuki was thankful that he hadn't let Usagi come alone. The shorter girl was bouncing from foot to foot as she waited for their bags to appear, daydreaming somewhat and not paying much attention to their surroundings.

_If we bumped into someone and transformed, it would be bad. Seriously bad._ Yuki subconsciously inched closer to Usagi and felt a rush of relief when their suitcases finally appeared. He took Usagi by the hand and pulled her away, cutting a careful path through the crowds.

"Where are we going from here?" Yuki asked over his shoulder after he made it to the outer edges of the crowds, still unwilling to stop. Usagi was eyeing all the busy restaurants and stores around the terminal in awe.

"The Hilton," she finally said, just before Yuki repeated himself, positive she hadn't heard the question. "That's where Akito said the reservations were. There is supposed to be a sky bridge that connects the airport and the hotel, or we can take the free shuttle."

"Right, The Hilton. Thank you." Yuki looked around, easily spotting the signs that led them in the direction of the Hilton Logan International Hotel. They opted to take the shuttle, and took two seats near the front. The ride was quiet; Usagi kept her eyes transfixed on the window and everything passing by beyond the glass. As they finally entered the hotel lobby, however, she turned to him with a huge grin.

"We're here, in America. It's amazing, isn't it?" Yuki nodded, unable to resist the urge to smile back at his younger sister's enthusiasm. They walked to the reception desk together, Usagi pointing out the trees at the entrance that reached toward a glass ceiling. Then she was tugging on his arm and pointing to the in-lobby café where people were gathered around sipping their coffees and talking. Yuki shook his head as they finally approached the desk, and turned his attentions to the receptionist.

"Can I help you?" The brunette woman smiled up at them, her fingers poised over her keyboard as she paused in whatever task she had been working on.

"We have a reservation under Sohma," He told her. The woman looked the two of them over for a moment and then nodded.

"Yes, hold on just a moment." She stood and walked off, leaving a perplexed Yuki behind. He glanced over at Usagi, but she was just as confused as he was. She returned scarcely two minutes later however, trailed by a shorter woman with dark hair.

"You must be Yuki and Usagi Sohma." Yuki and Usagi looked at each other, surprised. The woman was speaking perfect Japanese. "You can call me Sumi. I wanted to inform you that you've been upgraded to a Suite. If you have any questions or need anything at all you can contact me directly."

"A Suite? B-but-" Usagi floundered for a moment, but the woman just smiled as though she expected the protests and extended her hand with the room keys.

"The cardholder called earlier and made all the arrangements. Everything is taken care of, you have nothing to worry about." Yuki took the keys from the woman, Sumi, and thanked her. Usagi followed his lead, bowing and thanking her. "Remember, any problems just call the front desk and ask for me personally."

As the siblings walked toward the elevators, Yuki noticed Usagi muttering to herself and frowning. As they stepped into the elevator, the silver doors sliding closed, he decided to speak up. "Akito wanted to do this for you, Usagi. I know you don't like that she spent the extra money, but don't get mad at her. Just say thank you."

Usagi looked up at her brother, shocked to hear him defending the dark haired girl. But her mind travelled back to that room, to those lonely-looking daffodils and Akito's tears. She smiled and said, "Yeah, you're right."

When Yuki finally opened the door to the suite, both of them stood just inside the doorway for a moment, speechless. Usagi was the first to move again; she dropped her bag and ran across the room to look out the windows. The sun was just setting over Boston Harbor, the beginning twinkle of lights appearing along the city skyline and reflecting back at themselves against the water. Boats of every size were visible at the docks, a few just coming in from the sea. Usagi fought down the urge to place her hand against the spotless glass, instead turning away and taking in the enormous hotel suite around her.

"I could have brought all the girls and there still would have been too much room in here." She laughed over the emotion in her voice and came to collect her bag. When she finally determined which door led to a room, she abandoned the luggage on the floor and headed straight to the phone. It took some time figuring out how to dial out and then how to call a number in Japan, but she eventually made it through to the Sohma main house.

"How's the room?" The question was Akito's greeting when she finally came on the line, tinged with amusement that reminded Usagi fiercely of Shigure. Still there was a detectible note of hesitance in her tone that suggested she fully expected to be yelled at.

"It's..." Usagi paused, remembering again the broken expression on Akito's face and Yuki's unanticipated words in the elevator. "It's amazing. Boston Harbor is beautiful and you can see it all from the window. " Usagi absorbed the silence for a moment, smiling as she tried to imagine Akito's expression. "Thank you, Akito. Not for the room, but for everything, for this whole trip. It means more to me than you know."

"It's nothing, Usagi." The silver haired girl closed her eyes, listening to the quiet words of the girl so far away. "I owe you so much more."

"That's where you're wrong, Akito. You don't owe me anything." Usagi smiled into the receiver, silently thanking her brother once more, "Just say 'you're welcome.' Tell Shigure I said hey."

"You're welcome, Usagi, and I will."

**xXx**

The next morning, after the two of them had gone down to Berkshires for the breakfast buffet, Usagi dialed the number that she used to call everyday: to Mamoru's dorm room. According to the information that Akito gave her, Edward Smith still lived there with a new roommate. She focused on the ring of the phone over the receiver, trying to ignore the loud pounding of her heart in her ears.

"Hello?" For a moment, Usagi forgot how to breathe. The silence held over long enough that the male on the other end of the line repeated his inquiry.

"Hello, I'm looking for Edward Smith." Usagi had practiced her English nonstop since she'd decided to take this trip. Minako, who had lived in England before, and Ami, had both helped her under the premise that she needed to study hard to pass her English exam so she wouldn't have to retake it over summer break.

"Oh, hold on a minute," there was a jostling noise on the line, and the voice spoke again, sounding a bit far away. "Yo Ed, it's for you."

"Hello?" Usagi heard the word again seconds later, this time more prepared but possibly even more nervous than before.

"Hello, my name is Usagi. I'm," she stopped herself, taking a deep breath, and corrected, "I was Mamoru Chiba's fiancé. I'm here in Boston and I wanted to meet you, if you're not too busy of course. I was hoping you might show me where they buried him." Usagi fought hard to keep the emotions from bubbling up in her voice. The last thing she wanted was to cry on the phone to a complete stranger, whom she was already putting in a very uncomfortable position. "If you can't, I completely understand. I don't want to intrude on you at all."

There was no response on the other line, but Usagi refrained from asking if he was still there or not. She wouldn't be surprised if he had hung up on her. She tried to imagine how shocked he must have been to be getting this call, and this request, after he surely put the thoughts of Mamoru Chiba out of his mind forever.

"You came all the way to Boston, how could I say no?"

**xXx**

"Usagi?" The foreign name sounded awkward rolling off of his tongue. Usagi's first impression of Edward Smith was that he was very tall, at least six feet, and she had to look up to see his face. He had an All-American look to him, with blonde hair and blue eyes and a defined build that made her wonder if he played football, or with his height, maybe basketball. She nodded at his question and shook the hand that he offered between them.

"Yes, and this is my brother, Yuki." She gestured to Yuki, who had been standing beside her, and they also shook hands. The group had agreed to meet at a Starbucks not far from the dormitory. "Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me."

"It's the least I could do." Edward put his hands in his pockets, shrugging and looking a bit sheepish. "I didn't know Mamoru very long but he was a good guy. A little quiet at first, though. We were just starting to become good friends before the accident." He paused, smiling as he observed the short, silver-haired girl in front of him. "He talked a lot about you, though. He really cared about you, I could tell."

"Thank you for sending me that letter." Usagi looked down at her hands, still feeling nervous, but thankful that Yuki was with her. Though he didn't speak, his presence alone gave her more courage. "I don't know how long it would have been before I knew."

"Ah," Edward looked around, not sure what to say. He finally decided on, "The cemetery isn't far from here. It's probably easiest just to walk."

"We'll do that then." Usagi beamed up at the tall, blonde haired boy and motioned for him to lead the way.

"When the accident happened, the school pitched in a good sum to help pay for the service and the burial. The rest was donated by private contributors, including the families of the kids who were in the other car." He stopped and waited for the light at a crosswalk to change, looking at Usagi again. "The guy who was driving the car is serving time for manslaughter, but he will probably be out on parole soon."

"That's good." Usagi smiled to herself at the expression this statement earned her from the tall American, and the complete lack of shock that Yuki concurrently displayed. She walked forward when the light changed, since no one else in their party moved. By way of explanation, she said to Edward, "I've learned a lot about forgiveness this past year."

They didn't say much more as they walked outside of small talk. When the group finally approached what Edward told them was Mamoru's grave, he hung back a bit. "Listen, I don't want to be in your way. Call me later, though, if you and your brother want o go out for dinner. I know some great local places." He smiled at them over the tension in the air, and Usagi returned it.

"That would be nice." The silver haired girl bowed, as was the custom in Japan, thinking of how she wished she could hug him. "Thank you again, Edward, for everything you've done."

"It was nothing." Edward appeared uncomfortable again, for a moment, until he met eyes with Usagi. Some unspoken understanding passed between them, and he smiled again, saying, "I mean, you're welcome."

**xXx**

Okay, yeah, that ending was a bit maudlin, forgive me for that. I apologize for the two year wait, I can hardly believe it myself. I have the feeling, though, that this story may be drawing to a close within the next few chapters. It's been quite a ride, and so much fun writing it. I hope I don't disappoint anyone. My goal is to have it wrapped up by the end of this year, but we'll see.

It took me a bit longer to make it through parts of this chapter because I had to research Boston and Harvard Medical School to get the setting right. I hope the usual writing style didn't suffer too much as a result. I'm still having trouble with my eyes so I can't proof read well at the moment. Feel free to point out mistakes or roughness in the wording and I'll gladly fix it.

Thank you for reading, and if it isn't too much trouble, please review.


	23. Chapter 23

Yuki awoke to a silent hotel suite the next morning and felt a slight panic overtake him. He searched through the separate rooms, finding no sign of his younger sister. Quickly throwing his clothes on, he just barely remembered to grab the room key before he was out the door and pressing the down button on the elevator. Once he reached the lobby, he was half way to the doors, unsure of where he was going to search in the unfamiliar city, when he spotted the familiar crown of silver hair from the corner of his eye. Seated at one of the small, two-seated tables in front of the café was Usagi, her small hands wrapped around a large cup of coffee.

Slowing his pace, he made his way over to her. She didn't notice him until he pulled the second chair out and took a seat, but when she looked up at him, she chuckled.

"Your hair," she said, by way of explanation, and Yuki's hand automatically reached up to his head. He'd neglected to comb it in his rush to leave. Turning back to her coffee, she murmured, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. Want some?"

She pushed a plate across the tiny tabletop that he hadn't observed before, housing a giant blueberry muffin. The round top looked as if it had been attacked by a bird; Yuki could see where Usagi had pinched bits of it off, but it seemed most of these had ended up scattered around the plate instead of in her mouth. Looking at the girl again, he could see that her eyes were rimmed in red and that the baristas behind the counter were giving her concerned looks.

"They gave it to me for free." Usagi smiled despite herself, trying to smooth over her emotions with little success.

"What's wrong, Usagi?" Her face crumpled, just like that, and she struggled against her tears for a few moments. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to collect herself.

"I went to Mamoru's grave again this morning. I couldn't sleep. But while I was there..." Usagi let the sentence drift off and she looked at him again. He thought there was a meaning behind it, but he couldn't grasp it, so he waited for her to continue. "You didn't feel it, did you?"

"Feel what? What are you talking about?" Yuki was confounded, and Usagi ducked her head again, sipping the coffee in her hands for something to do. Her voice was so quiet, when she finally spoke again, that he could barely hear her over the bustling people around them.

"The curse," she looked up again, her sapphire eyes full of tears, "it's gone. I felt it, like a sudden empty hole inside of me. I was afraid something happened back home. I ran back to the hotel and called Akito, but she was so calm about it. She told me that Kureno had lost his curse as well, a while ago."

Usagi stopped, aware that tears were coming no matter how she fought against them. Yuki felt like the world had stopped turning. He couldn't even begin to formulate words. But she wasn't finished either, "And Hiro-san too. She thinks that when she gave up her hold on everyone and allowed them their freedom, it may have started a chain reaction."

Yuki was still frozen in time, so Usagi stayed silent, letting him take it in while she wiped at her tears. When he finally did speak, it was the question she'd been anticipating. "What's it like?"

"Well before my curse was suppressed, but since I didn't have any memories of my time as a Sohma I didn't really know the difference." Usagi paused, pondering for a moment. "It's bittersweet. It's a relief, but emptiness as well, like some part of me is suddenly missing. I guess it is though, huh?"

Yuki was silent, and she looked at him, her eyes softening. "I moved our flight. We're leaving this afternoon. I have to get home now, I feel it. Since this morning, every moment that I can't see Haru is like this angry cloud of confusion in my head. I hope that's okay."

"That's fine."

**xXx**

While Yuki packed his things in the other room, he could hear Usagi making calls in the otherwise quiet suite. One of them he heard tidbits of and knew she was talking to Edward, thanking him for everything once more and for treating them to Boston cream pie the night before, which she had gushed over endlessly. After that he tuned her out, his mind reeling with his own thoughts.

Would he be free of the curse, too? Would it happen today, tomorrow, or would it stretch on torturously? He was full of apprehension and anticipation. When Usagi emerged from the bedroom, she had all of her things already packed, and seemed the epitome of composure. In fact, she smiled at him.

"We can check out now. I want to take the sky bridge to the airport and stop in the gift shop to buy souvenirs for everyone." Yuki followed the silver haired girl's lead as she checked them out of the hotel, gave their thanks to Sumi, the hotel manager who had assisted them the day before, and set them on the path to the sky bridge that would take them back to Logan International.

Usagi stayed quiet; she seemed to be giving him space to digest the news that had hit her so hard that morning, and maybe he was a bit grateful for that. She let him wait outside the gift shop while she browsed, and emerged nearly an hour later with her arms full of bags, grinning.

When they entered the terminal, they stopped and turned at the sound of someone calling the girl's name. The familiar tall, lean frame of Edward appeared amongst the shorter heads of those surrounding him, and Usagi's face lit up in a smile.

"You didn't have to come see us off, now I feel guilty that I didn't get you anything." She gestured to the bags the two siblings were carrying and the boy laughed.

"Actually I came to give you this," He held out a white box in the space between them. When Usagi took it, it felt cool to the touch. "An authentic Boston cream pie. You won't find one like that anywhere in Japan."

Usagi passed the box to Yuki, dropped her bags, and threw her arms around the tall American. Yuki felt a sudden, dizzying sickness overcome him before he remembered. When Usagi didn't transform, the reality of it really hit home. Edward appeared surprised, and then sheepish as he gave her an awkward hug in return.

"Thank you, Edward. You've been amazing," she pulled away, sensing his discomfort, and smiled up at him. "Mamoru was lucky to have you as a friend, even for just a short time."

"I feel the same way about him, don't mention it. He was lucky to have someone like you back home, waiting for him." Edward stopped, and then smiled down at the shorter girl. "Good luck Usagi."

**xXx**

Usagi begged their stewardess to store her cream pie somewhere cold during their 16 hour flight and the woman reluctantly gave in, falling victim to Usagi's cheerful charm. As the plane took off, the silver haired girl stared out of the oval window, watching Boston Harbor grow smaller and smaller. She smiled a bit to herself, thinking, _I'm going home_.

After a while, she turned to her brother, who hadn't said more than a few words since that morning. Knowing how she had reacted to the news herself, she couldn't fault him for it, but she was growing concerned at his persistent silence. She decided to broach a subject she'd been meaning to ask about, hoping to distract him.

"Oniisan?" When he turned to her, she squirmed a bit in her chair, unsure how he was going to react. "Are you going to tell her how you feel? I mean, I don't know who she is or anything, but..." Usagi tried to ignore the shocked look Yuki was giving her, "It has nothing to do with the curse or anything. I just think if you care about someone, no matter what kind of feeling it is, you have to tell them. Don't make the mistake I did. You all graduated this year; you'll be going to university in the fall. I don't want to see you have regrets."

A silence settled over them again, and Usagi got the feeling that Yuki wasn't going to respond, though she knew he had heard her out at least. They sat together, counting down the moments until they were home.

"You know something," Usagi smiled, unable to stay quiet for such a long stretch of time, though Yuki looked grateful for a distraction from his muddled thoughts. "I never thought the curse was turning into an animal. It was more a feeling that we could never love someone normally. Love was a dream we couldn't have. That's why I wanted to end it so badly when I came back. It was never about Akito, though I always felt sorry for her. I just wanted all of you to have what I had gotten a taste of."

"Alright, I'll call her." Usagi looked startled for a moment, and then she started laughing. Yuki realized he hadn't heard her really laugh in a while. He smiled.

"Okay, you got me. But I'm glad." She turned toward the window, still smiling, leaving him to the quiet of his thoughts. After a while, she dozed off, her head falling to his shoulder. It didn't take Yuki long to follow suit.

**xXx**

"Hatsuharu Sohma?" The white head popped up suddenly, a set of chocolate brown eyes looking on her quite unexpectedly, speculative and guarded. The young woman smiled to herself as she looked him over, curled into the plastic chair of the airport terminal with his clothing ruffled, a telltale sign of how long he'd been waiting, or perhaps how much care he'd taken in getting ready before he'd rushed here. She held out her arm in the space between them, offering the hot coffee in her hand as a gesture of good will. He eyed it for a moment before finally accepting.

She dropped into the chair beside him, and sipped at her own beverage while she debated on where she wanted to begin. Her gaze travelled a few chairs down where another of the Sohma clan, Momiji, was situated, fast asleep. Beside him was someone she recognized well, Hotaru Tomoe, though the age difference threw her off a bit, also asleep. They were supporting each other as they slept looking peaceful and, in her opinion, quite cute together. A smirk twisted her lips when she imagined the look of rage on Haruka's face if she were to witness the scene.

"Who are you?" Turning back, she felt a little sheepish for getting so lost in her thoughts. Showing such a weakness was not in her nature, however, and she devoted her full attention to Hatsuharu once more. Both of his gloved hands were wrapped around the Styrofoam cup she'd given him, but his eyes were studying her, still questioning.

"My name is Rei Hino. I'm a friend of Usagi's." A place to begin, she guessed. He seemed unaffected by this announcement, just continued studying her, apathetic by all measures. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to talk for a bit." She hesitated, another thing she rarely did. "I want to tell you a story."

"Sure," Hatsuharu barely paused before he gave the shrugging answer, but he observed the girl beside him a bit closer. Her long raven colored hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, with fringed bangs that reached toward her dark violet eyes. She sat straight in her chair, poised, and some fierceness or confidence in her demeanor reminded him painfully of Rin.

"It's been almost a year ago, now. The day when Usagi came to the shrine to talk to me, confused and somewhat frightened. Before then I had no idea about her past, about the fact that she couldn't remember her early childhood. When Yuki Sohma appeared that day, I saw that life come back to Usagi, and I felt something in that moment that I'll never forget." Rei's fingers tightened around her coffee as her composure wavered for just a moment.

The day at Hikawa shrine replayed in her memory again: her subdued best friend, the startled face of Yuki, and Usagi's face when she looked at him, full of sadness and hope, a world of memories playing behind her blue eyes. The confusion of five minutes prior had vanished. Usagi had begun to transform into someone new in that very moment, though Rei had not realized it at the time.

"It was loss. A part of my best friend had been restored; a part none of us knew was missing the whole time we'd known each other. I'm not sure if even Usagi realized just how big that absent piece of her heart was. I can't say she became a different person, because that isn't true." Rei stopped again, trying to articulate her words. She felt like she was rambling incoherently. "I guess what I mean is, I could feel the distance between us start to widen then, and it has been expanding ever since. I don't know if Usagi has told you certain things about her time with us-"

"About being Sailor Moon?" Hatsuharu fought the urge to smirk as Rei froze in her seat, her mouth dropping open in shock. Her head whipped around to make sure no one was listening to them, but the terminal was practically empty. It was the small hours of the morning after all. "She never told me, but I figured it out. I saw her at the school, on the roof, as Sailor Moon. I knew it was her. Besides, everything else made more sense once I realized it: why she had to leave the family, why she and Yuki had their memories erased by someone besides Hatori, and why she looked so different."

"I see," Rei tried to decide whether she was annoyed or amused, but shrugged it off. "Well, the point I was making is that we all had a very set future. Certain circumstances had revealed exactly how our lives were supposed to play out. When Mamoru Chiba died, however, that future was lost."

Rei smiled, a little ruefully, "The future is never set in stone, that's what they say. I cannot imagine the state Usagi must have been in, losing not only the person she loved, but the certainty of the life she had expected." A silence settled over them. Down the row of seats, Hotaru stirred for a moment, shifting into a more comfortable position before slipping off to sleep again.

"My point in all of this is that the Usagi that will be stepping off of that plane today is not the same one that I knew so well." Hatsuharu glanced up as he realized that people were starting to emerge from the gate. Their plane had indeed arrived, but he gave his attentions to Rei for the moment, sensing she wasn't finished. "Our paths that were intertwined unraveled at some point. We've slowly starting moving in our own directions, still together, but also separate from each other."

Hatsuharu couldn't stop himself from searching the crowd for a familiar crown of silver hair, though he was still listening to the raven haired girl speak. "Her destiny, her path is with you now." He turned his brown eyes back to her, and she was smiling, though she looked a bit sad. Fishing in her bag for a moment, she produced a small wrapped package and held it out to him.

"This is for her. Tell her to call me or I'll kill her." Hatsuharu accepted the package, and nodded. Rei smiled at him as she stood, and looked him over one more time with those intense violet eyes. "Take care of her."

The young woman turned, walking away without another word. The white haired teenager sat there for a moment, contemplating her words as he looked over the package in his hand, and the coffee in the other. When he finally remembered to look up, he spotted Yuki and Usagi walking side by side. The former was loaded down with bags that Usagi had no doubt swindled him into carrying. She was holding only her suitcase and a few of the lighter parcels.

As though she could feel his gaze, she turned her head and locked eyes with him, just as Hatsuharu rose to his feet, putting his coffee and the box aside. She stopped in her tracks, a flicker of emotions through her expression, and an unspoken question. He already knew. He'd expected it, and when he nodded to her, she dropped everything in her hands and ran toward him.

Hatsuharu caught her in his arms, buried his face in her hair while she held on for all that she was worth. "I missed you." She mumbled into his shirt. She held on for a few moments longer before she pulled back, her expression somewhat somber now. "How many are left? Yuki is still cursed."

"Not entirely sure." He looked down at her, suddenly remembering Rei's words. "Most of us are free of it now, though."

"Any idea what caused it?"

"Tohru and Kyou," was Hatsuharu's short response before Momiji's shout of joy cut through them and Usagi's fellow rabbit enveloped her in a hug, followed on the other side by Hotaru.

"Usagi! You snuck off to America without telling me!" The blonde boy whined. Usagi smiled despite herself. Hatsuharu left them to join Yuki, helping him with the load of bags. "You and Yuki probably saw all kinds of cool stuff without us."

"Are you getting taller?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Usagi was looking at Momiji with wide eyes after he pulled away from her. They used to be near the same height, but Usagi hadn't seen him since sometime before they took their finals for the year and he seemed to have surpassed her by a few inches at the least. Momiji just grinned and nodded. "How is everyone? Has it been chaos?"

Momiji sobered at the question. "It's been an interesting couple of days, to say the least, but I believe everyone has gotten over the initial shock. Akito took it quite well, which I think helped the rest of the family accept the changes quicker than they might have. Kureno left, though. I think with one of Tohru's friends, Arisa."

Usagi raised her eyebrows at this unexpected bit of news. Still, she wondered how Akito had taken the loss of Kureno. He had been a closest companion of the dark haired girl for many years, and the silver haired girl knew she was in a perpetual state of guilt and contrition toward the members of the zodiac, and hoped that the rooster's sudden departure hadn't injured Akito further.

"I think Hatori may have someone as well," Momiji added as an afterthought. Another smile spread over her face as she thought of the stoic doctor, and remembered his somewhat altered demeanor the last time she saw him. Perhaps she was correct when she detected something off; it was love all along. The thought pleased her.

"I'm glad. It seems like everyone is getting the chance I wished they could have." She paused, then grinned devilishly at them, "And what about you two? I saw you looking all cozy a few minutes ago. Have you been hanging out the whole time I was gone?" Usagi laughed delightedly as the both of them turned bright red and attempted to deny her accusations at the same time, only cutting each other off and becoming more flustered. Hatsuharu and Yuki rejoined the group, looking over the two with interest.

"What did you do to them?" Yuki asked, making Usagi burst into a fresh fit of giggles and unable to answer. He shook his head at his sibling and nodded his head toward the exit. "Let's go home."

**xXx**

When the group arrived back at Shigure's, everyone in the house was just waking up. Tohru put on some coffee and tea for everyone and offered to make breakfast. Kyou arrived in the kitchen in time to offer his help. Though they appeared normal, if not a bit more awkward around each other than usual, Usagi could see that their relationship had shifted. It was a look that lingered, or a tone of voice, or a slight brush against each other, and it brought a smile to her face.

"I forgot to give this to you." Her attention was pulled back to Hatsuharu as he slid a small wrapped package across the table to her. "Rei said to call her or she'll kill you."

"It's from Rei-chan?" Usagi glanced at him in surprise, studying the box with interest. She wondered when Rei had met with Hatsuharu, and why, but at the moment her curiosity was too great. Her fingers worked under the tape and quickly through the wrapping paper to the small, unmarked box it encased. When she opened it, her blue eyes took in the pink cell phone disbelievingly, a small rabbit charm dangling from one side.

"Now the call thing makes more sense," Hatsuharu commented dryly as Usagi turned the phone over in her hands, getting a bit misty eyed. She flipped it open and hit the button to take her into the contacts. Sure enough, Rei's number was already there, programmed in along with all of her friends. When she returned to the home screen, she noticed there was a message already waiting for her, and she opened it.

_Don't make a fuss over it. Now you have no excuse not to call, Usagi no baka._

Usagi closed the phone and smiled to herself. Perhaps she had been neglecting her beloved senshi and friends more than she meant to. Before she could get lost in her thoughts, however, breakfast was served. She kept the group entertained with stories about the sights of Boston and the tall American that they'd befriended in the short time they were there. Once the meal was through, everyone had a slice of the Boston cream pie that he'd seen her off with.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Usagi jumped up from her seat and ran from the room, where they'd left their things because they were too tired to take them upstairs, and returned with an armful of bags. After the dishes had all been cleared, she dumped the bags on the table one by one, creating a messy pile in the center, from which she plucked a t-shirt and a sweatshirt. "I brought back souvenirs! I didn't know what to get everyone so I got a bunch of stuff. Pick out whatever you want!"

She showed off the shirt she'd gotten for herself, white with 'I Boston' written on the front. The sweatshirt was grey and just said 'Boston.' In the pandemonium pile was an eclectic arrangement of hats, shirts, pens, postcards, key chains, magnets, mugs, picture frames, and every other thing you could possibly find in a souvenir shop.

Momiji and Hotaru wasted no time in digging through the goodies to find what they wanted. When Tohru seemed a bit more reluctant, Usagi began shoving things in her direction enthusiastically, until she submitted and chose a cute stuffed teddy bear with its own tiny Boston shirt on. Meanwhile, both Momiji and Hotaru got a kick out of the shirt that was similar to Usagi's, except it had a lobster in place of the heart.

"Why are you kids making such a racket this early in the morning?" Shigure appeared in the kitchen, looking over the scene in amusement. They looked up at him in surprise, stalling their souvenir party for a moment, until Usagi stuck her tongue out at him.

"You sound like a grumpy old man, Gure-chan. Come pick something out. And have some pie before I eat it all!" She turned back to the group and started trying different hats on Kyou, despite his vehemently annoyed protests, and she missed Shigure's smile.

**xXx**

Ah! I think this story is on a crash course with its ending. I couldn't exactly bring Tohru and Kyou together in the way that the series did since I've changed Akito so much, so I simply leave it to your imaginations. In other words I was too lazy to come up with something new so I took the easy way out. Ha ha, but I am both relieved and sad that this is almost over. I'm glad some of my stories are reaching completion so I can feel okay about starting a new one soon. (;

Please review!


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